Social Commerce is a growing trend that is revolutionizing the way products and services are sold online. A new business model originating in China and strongly accelerated by the pandemic, it now has the revolution brought by TikTok Shop at its ‘eye of the storm,’ a platform that has shown great potential in various countries to boost sales through deep, native integration between content and online shopping—and it finally arrives in Brazil this April.
TikTok Shop leverages the instant gratification-seeking behavior of the new generation of digital consumers. According to research in different markets, such as the US, UK, and Asia, TikTok users are highly likely to purchase directly within the app due to the combination of entertainment, social interaction, and seamless shopping in one place—an absolutely frictionless journey that allows users to fulfill their shopping desires without leaving the platform.
One of the major advantages of this new business model brought by TikTok Shop is its characteristic short-video format, integrated with the virtual store, which not only quickly captures attention but also drives impulse buying. The platform allows creators and brands to directly embed links to products displayed in videos, quickly converting interest into actual sales.
As I recently shared in interviews with some specialized TV news outlets, TikTok Shop has seen a significant increase in sales conversions compared to other traditional e-commerce formats, potentially delivering up to 10x better results. This happens especially because of the emotional connection users develop with influencers and organically generated content, which increases trust and credibility in promoted products—not to mention the speed of in-app purchasing, boosting the desire for impulse buying.
Another key factor in TikTok Shop’s success is its highly mobile-optimized user experience. In a scenario where every second counts to retain consumer attention, smooth navigation and the simplicity of integrated checkout are crucial to reducing cart abandonment rates.
TikTok beyond a video platform
TikTok has long transcended its origins as a short-video and dance platform. Today, it is a phenomenon redefining the intersection of entertainment and commerce, driven by the attention economy—a scenario where time spent on social media directly translates into business opportunities. In markets like the US and Indonesia, TikTok Shop generated $33 billion in 2024, a figure that illustrates the power of this new frontier of social commerce. In Brazil, where users spend over 30 hours per month on the app, its arrival promises to shake up the e-commerce market, whichcould generate nearly R$39 billionin the national territory by 2028 (according to a study released by Santander Bank).
The rise of TikTok Shop is intrinsically linked to the shift in consumer behavior. We live in an era where attention is the most valuable asset, and platforms that can capture it—like TikTok, with its precisely tuned algorithm—become natural sales drivers.
E-commerce represents 13% of global retail, and social commerce, driven by influencers and immersive content, is the next wave—fueled by the effective application of AI for hyper-personalization. Thus, when a user watches a live stream of a creator testing a beauty product, the purchase can be completed in seconds without leaving the app. This removes friction and amplifies impulse sales, which are the heart of retail.
The platform operates in countries like the US, UK, China, Mexico, and Indonesia, where integrated features—such as shopping icons in videos, product showcases, and live streams—simplify the consumer journey. In Indonesia, for example, 9 of the top 10 TikTok Shop stores in 2024 were beauty and personal care brands, a sector that also dominated the highest-revenue live streams in the US. TikTok’s strategy includes aggressive incentives to attract sellers, such as 90-day commission-free periods and free shipping—tactics that may be replicated in Brazil to accelerate adoption.
