The omnichannel squeeze: reaching shoppers quicker with TikTok Shop & social commerce

In a post-COVID world, we’ve seen an unprecedented acceleration of change in multichannel retailing, as shoppers find ever more agile ways to get what they want. The familiar behavioural tactics and nudges that have been the mainstay of sales activation within a traditional store footprint —for example, shelf promotions and FSDUs to grab attention — are no longer the most powerful tool in the armoury when engaging a new generation of potential buyers.  

In 2014, social commerce joined the fray, and the effects were transformative. Social commerce is defined as goods or services bought directly within a social media platform, such as Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or TikTok. It’s growing exponentially, and by 2025, 17% of total online sales will be through social networks. 

As a result, the omnichannel landscape has shifted significantly. Retailers and brands have more opportunities than ever to reach their target markets through a multitude of touchpoints.

Social commerce and friction-free buying  

Social media has had a major impact on shopping journeys, most notably compressing the path from inspiration to sale. Social channels offer a friction-free buying environment that can easily lead to a snap purchase by pushing all the right behavioural science buttons, such as:

• Demonstrable product benefits — seeing is believing.
• Influencer advocacy — triggering desire, aspiration.
• Evident popularity — providing reassurance through the ‘bandwagon’ effect. 
• Peer-to-peer recommendation — adding confidence by means of social proofing.

Couple this with super-speedy payment routes and access to credit, such as Klarna, and social commerce presents a potent mix that is driving behavioural change in online purchasing. And it doesn’t stop there. 

In 2021, a newcomer arrived on the social commerce scene, TikTok Shop, and a whole new era of shopper behaviour was born. TikTok’s growth has been unprecedented, especially among younger generations. The short-form video app famed for its highly personalised algorithm is expected to reach 2.35 billion users by 2029. Nearly 80% of 18-24 year olds use TikTok, far more than any other social network.

Given that 54% of TikTok users engage with brands every day on the platform, it’s no wonder that TikTok capitalised on this staggering audience engagement by adding shopping features to its app. While Facebook has the most sales on any social network, TikTok has the highest percentage of users who actually make a purchase — and over half of those sales are down to Gen Z and Millennials alone.

For many brands and retailers, this audience is a goldmine of untapped potential. Young shoppers are highly engaged, and they’re raring to buy. 

How does TikTok Shop convert community into customers so effectively?

TikTok Shop is designed to help brands turn their social communities into customers, and to enable users to discover new products in the most convenient way possible. Its success is all down to what TikTok calls “discovery e-commerce”.

Within TikTok Shop, users can discover everything from beauty and wellness to FMCG and DIY products through a huge marketplace, shoppable videos, and live streams — in minutes without ever having to leave the app.

On the ‘For You’ Page, users can shop products mentioned in styling videos, reviews, or how-tos by creators and brands, all in real time. Content on this page is highly personalised to the user’s behaviour on the app, resulting in extremely niche recommendations and high conversion rates.

This tailored targeting offers an intoxicating blend of inspiration and buying functionality, creating multiple ‘micro’ purchasing paths and direct access to a host of products. By tuning into behavioural patterns and preferences, TikTok Shop creates a shopping experience that drastically eases the cognitive load of decision-making, and effectively seizes the moment when shoppers are tempted to buy.  No friction = no hesitation. And that’s money in the bank.

Which categories are dominating TikTok Shop sales?

• Beauty and personal care

Beauty and personal care is leading the way in TikTok Shop sales — and it’s no mystery why. Everyone from nano-influencers to celebrities are creating beauty content, from skincare routines and what’s in their makeup bag, to products that are/aren’t worth the hype. Brands are also using LIVE to launch new product ranges. Take Made by Mitchell, for example, which made £1 million in a day following its first LIVE makeup launch.

• Womenswear and underwear

Major brands like ASOS, PUMA, UGG, and Boohoo all leverage TikTok Shop for sales through shoppable videos, affiliates, storefronts, and often LIVEs. To replicate its immense success in Asia, Zara recently launched live shopping videos in the UK on TikTok, where models try on different outfits that users can buy in real time.

• Food and beverages

Who would’ve thought you could buy groceries on social media? Not us. Well, now you can. Lidl became the first supermarket to sell its products on TikTok Shop earlier this year. Their range of high-protein products and discounted bundles sold out in just 18 minutes. There’s clearly an appetite for buying groceries on the social media platform, but will any other supermarkets follow in Lidl’s footsteps?

• Home supplies

A lot of household items, such as laundry detergent and toilet paper, as well as home decor like artwork and mirrors, can be purchased on the TikTok Shop at discounted prices. Trends such as “CleanTok”, where “cleanfluencers” share cleaning hacks and organisation tips, have influenced users to spend money on gadgets and cleaning products to make their homes spick and span. 

• Fashion accessories

Bags, jewellery, hats, scarves, you name it… TikTok Shop has it all. The app even recently raised its price cap to £4,000 following the popularity of luxury fashion accessory resellers such as Luxe Collective and Sellier Knightsbridge. There’s a clear demand for both luxury and high street fashion on TikTok Shop, even second-hand and pre-loved items, too.

These are the important lessons that TikTok Shop can show us…

• The “browse-to-buy” experience → think content, not search 

As soon as they open the app, TikTok users fall into the scroll, watch, buy, repeat cycle. It’s an addictive and intuitive customer experience, much like the mechanics of Amazon and Temu.

On TikTok, the shopping experience begins with content, not search. It’s content-first, commerce-second. Users aren’t just browsing for products, they’re being influenced, entertained and sold to in one scroll.  A great illustration of the power of experiential retailing.

• A closed loop of “shoppertainment” -> make decisions, feel empowered 

What makes TikTok Shop stand out is its closed loop of “shoppertainment”, where product discovery, influencer recommendation, and purchase all happen in one place. Today, shoppers want to make intuitive, informed, not impulsive decisions — and content from brands and influencers is now integral to the shopping experience. 

On the app, users can see what a product looks like, how it works, and its effectiveness, without feeling like they’re being sold to. It leverages a strong network of nano, micro, macro and mega influencers, affiliates, brand ambassadors, LIVE shopping formats, and authentic content that builds trust and turns it into revenue. Purchasing feels smart, informed, justified — all helping to get shoppers over the line.

• A 360-degree understanding of shoppers -> tune in more, to sell better

TikTok’s state-of-the-art algorithm is the engine behind it all. While other social media platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, rely heavily on past purchase behaviour, TikTok uses what you watch, who you follow, and how long you linger to help users discover new, highly relevant content and products.

That means brands aren’t just targeting traditional buying occasions, they’re targeting habits, behaviours, and even mindsets. Subtle nudges, reminders, and showcasing boost the mental availability of brands even when audiences aren’t in the market for shopping. Ready to come to mind when they are. And when combined with creator-led content, the result is advertising that doesn’t feel like advertising. It feels personal and relevant. A remarkably effective soft sell.

What does this new omnichannel landscape mean for brands and retailers? 

It’s crucial to understand how the variety of channels complements each other on the shopper journey. Who do they reach, how do they exert influence, and what’s the best strategy for leveraging them to drive sales?

Social commerce can unlock growth, especially among a younger audience. Identify how your brand can show up effectively and ensure your social strategy really is up to scratch to drive the mental and physical availability of your brand or product.

Social commerce plays by different rules, using content rather than search. Ask yourself, is your social media strategy harnessing the right types of content to resonate? Is your content working hard enough for you to turn exposure into sales? Do you understand the relationship between ‘seen’ and ‘sold’? What knowledge gaps do you need to address? 

Are you clear on how shoppers come into your category? Do you have a clear strategy for targeting shoppers to ensure you’re mentally available to combat the compressed shopper journeys online and on social commerce platforms? Being sharp on these facts is crucial to leverage growth.

The future of omnichannel: what lies ahead?

Will TikTok be banned in the US? How will creators and retailers adapt if the platform and landscape change? And what happens when AI, including tools like ChatGPT, becomes the latest threat to the proliferation of shopping channels? Stay tuned to hear more. 

Want to discuss how you can stay ahead of the generational shift in shopper behaviour? Get in touch with Becki at b.jarvis@trinitymcqueen.com