In recent years, the way we shop has changed beyond recognition. Although some still head to the high street and browse, many are now more likely to log on and go online. It’s quicker, more convenient and available 24/7. But it lacks the joy of a real-life shopping trip – the personal interactions, the chance to ask questions from knowledgeable staff and the serendipity of finding something new and unexpected. Traditional online shopping is purely transactional. And where’s the fun in that?
No wonder shoppers are now turning to TikTok Shop and its pioneering ‘Discovery Commerce.’ Rather than static product pages that tell only half the story, Discovery Commerce offers an immersive and interactive experience – featuring LIVE shopping sessions and Shoppable Videos in which products can be seen in action, on real body shapes, in different contexts. Want to see how a skirt moves, how a moisturiser glides on, or how a vacuum cleaner really tackles grime? You can, with Discovery Commerce.
Where entertainment meets e-commerce
The popularity of this new kind of online shopping is now soaring, with over 6,000 LIVE shopping sessions happening every single day on TikTok UK. These sessions range from quick updates to 12-hour marathons and the best of them nail the 5 Ps of LIVE success – using the right Presenter, selecting the right Product, building anticipation with a Preheat, employing tactical Pricing strategies and keeping up momentum through proper Pacing.
Fronting these LIVE sessions are often the founders of enterprises or trusted Creators, who can demo a product’s capabilities and enable a two-way conversation with customers – answering questions on fit, functionality and features, offering their personal opinions and sharing their expert knowledge to inform people’s purchasing decisions.
Such interactivity is energising – it elevates online shopping from just staring at a screen, to an entertaining, social and interactive experience. Shoppers enjoy the authenticity, trustworthiness and real-life storytelling that comes with Creator-driven content. It connects them to a like-minded community and blends seamlessly into their feeds, mimicking organic discovery and helping them find their new favourite products. And it doesn’t feel ‘sales-y’ – yet it sells products in their droves.
An essential strategy for success
With TikTok Shop now the fastest growing platform in the UK*, Discovery Commerce is a force to be reckoned with – and those who ignore it do so at their peril. The smartest enterprises are already on board and embracing all the opportunities it brings for boosting reach, visibility and sales. As Marisa Poster, the founder of matcha brand PerfectTed, says, being on TikTok Shop is “like being in a retail store the size of Wembley Stadium and you’re the only salesperson with a megaphone”.
Standout success stories include the British make-up brand P.Louise, which generated £1.5 million in just 12 hours during a single TikTok Shop LIVE session – as well as Made by Mitchell, which generated just £20 in its first LIVE session but hit a record-breaking £1 million in a single day last summer.
And they’re just two of the 200,000 active Sellers now thriving on TikTok Shop UK. Alongside these stellar start-ups are large, prestigious enterprises such as L’Oreal, who ran the UK’s first ever Super Brand Day – a mix of Creator-driven amplification, exclusive launches and LIVE Shopping that resulted in a sales uplift over six times that of the previous period. Sportswear brand Puma is also leaning into Discovery Commerce, creating immersive shopping experiences, iterating its strategies based on performance data and recently seeing a 737% increase in sales in a single week.
These enterprises are smart enough to know they need to be in same space as their audience – engaging with them, not just marketing to them. From there, the journey from scroll to sale is frictionless, with no need for shoppers to sift through reviews or come out of ‘entertainment mode’ to make a purchase.
Be part of the future of Discovery Commerce
If you’re part of a large enterprise and are excited by the opportunities of Discovery Commerce, TikTok Shop has put together a detailed new guide to help you dive right in.
With plenty of expert advice, insights and proven strategies for achieving commercial goals – including the strategic ‘MAGIC’ framework for integrating and scaling Discovery Commerce within an enterprise business – it’ll help any business get it right and create an online retail experience that’s just as rewarding as a real-life trip.
*NielsenIQ, May 2025.
