Jun 3, 2025
7 MIN READ
INFLUENCER MARKETING
INFLUENCER MARKETING
The Impact of TikTok’s ECommerce Integration on D2C Brands
The Impact of TikTok’s ECommerce Integration on D2C Brands
The Impact of TikTok’s ECommerce Integration on D2C Brands
Aishwarya Taskar
Aishwarya Taskar
Aishwarya Taskar
Aishwarya Taskar
Content Marketer @impulze.ai
Blog in Short ⏱️
Blog in Short ⏱️
A quick glance at the highlights—perfect for when you're short on time.
A quick glance at the highlights—perfect for when you're short on time.
TikTok e-commerce has transformed shopping by blending short videos and in-app buying, making discovery and purchase seamless for D2C brands.
TikTok Shop, launched in the U.S. in 2023, drives sales with product tagging, live shopping, and personalized recommendations.
Gen Z leads the charge, with over half shopping on TikTok, fueling viral product trends and creator-driven content that boosts conversions.
Successful D2C brands like HC Clor, Dreamtrend, and Cakes Body show how creator partnerships and high-volume content can deliver millions in sales.
To win on TikTok e-commerce, focus on authentic user-generated content, product seeding, shop optimization, and data-driven strategy adjustments.
Challenges include product quality, privacy concerns, and fulfillment issues, but the potential for growth is huge.
Tools like impulze.ai can help you with influencer discovery, outreach, and campaign management.
Back in 2020, TikTok was all about viral dances and lip-sync trends. Fast-forward to 2021, and it started rolling out shopping features that turned it into a powerful driver of TikTok e-commerce.
Suddenly, users weren’t just watching content — they were discovering products and buying them without leaving the app. It was entertainment meets instant shopping.
From Entertainment to E-Commerce: The TikTok Shift
TikTok’s early steps into shopping started with creators casually featuring products in their videos. When those items started trending, TikTok saw an opportunity.
By 2021, it introduced in-app shopping, allowing brands to tag products directly in videos and live streams. That meant a 15-second product demo could lead straight to checkout without users leaving the app.
What Is TikTok e-commerce?
TikTok e-commerce blends short-form video with direct shopping. It’s not just about buying; it’s about discovering, engaging, and checking out—all in one seamless experience. Unlike traditional e-commerce, TikTok makes shopping feel spontaneous and social by using creator partnerships, interactive content, and quick-hit videos.
At the center of this ecosystem is TikTok Shop, which launched in the U.S. in late 2023 and gave TikTok e-commerce a serious boost. TikTok Shop lets people explore, interact with, and buy products in a single experience. Since then, it's become a go-to shopping destination, especially for younger consumers.
30% of U.S. TikTok users have purchased on TikTok Shop. Younger users, particularly, have helped fuel the platform’s rapid growth and shaped how brands approach video-driven commerce.
You’ll also find live shopping events, hosted by influencers who showcase products, answer questions in real time, and convert viewers into customers on the spot.
Shoppable videos allow users to tap on tagged products and make a purchase instantly. TikTok’s algorithm recommends products based on each user’s viewing habits, making the experience feel curated and personal.
Key features of TikTok Shop include:
In-App Shopping: Products appear in videos, live streams, and storefronts for effortless discovery
One-Click Checkout: Fast transactions via the integrated payment system
Creator-Driven Marketing: Influencers showcase products through demos, reviews, and live shopping sessions
Personalized Recommendations: TikTok’s algorithm suggests items based on each user’s engagement
If you're a D2C brand, TikTok Shop is your chance to bring product discovery and purchase into one place. Start by creating attention-grabbing videos tailored for TikTok Shop and pairing them with a solid video marketing strategy. The right combination can increase reach and conversions and maximize your TikTok e-commerce impact.
What’s Fueling TikTok’s E-Commerce Growth?
Here’s what’s helping TikTok e-commerce grow:
Highly Engaged Audience: Gen Z and Millennials don’t just scroll. They interact, share, and often buy on impulse. If growth is your goal, figuring out how to boost engagement on TikTok is worth your time.
Creator-Led Content: Influencers bring authenticity to the table. Their reviews and creative demos build trust and drive conversions.
Viral Product Moments: When something resonates, it spreads fast. One trending clip can turn into thousands of sales within hours.
Strong Visual Categories: Beauty, fashion, gadgets, and lifestyle products perform especially well in TikTok’s short-form, fast-moving format.
How D2C Brands Are Winning With TikTok e-commerce
1. Hair Syrup: From Bedroom Startup to £4.5M in Sales
In 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic, 24-year-old Lucie Macleod started mixing natural hair oil blends from her childhood bedroom in the UK. She couldn’t find hair treatments that worked for her, so she made her own. That’s how Hair Syrup was born.
The real turning point came when Lucie started using TikTok to share her story. Her content felt real, helpful, and totally relatable. Before long, her videos were blowing up, and so were her sales. By the end of 2024, Hair Syrup had hit £4.5 million in revenue, with projections showing it could reach £6.5 million in 2025.
And get this: after appearing on British TV program Dragons’ Den (where she didn’t even get a deal), her sales jumped by 66% and she gained 50,000 new followers overnight. That moment opened doors with major retailers like Boots, Superdrug, ASOS, and Beauty Bay.
Lucie’s story shows what’s possible when you mix problem-solving products with genuine content on TikTok. You don’t need a big budget. You just need something that connects.
2 - Dreamtrend: Vietnamese Beauty Brand Turned Short Videos Into Sales
In the lead-up to Lunar New Year 2024, Dreamtrend, a Vietnamese beauty brand best known for its detangling hair care line, made TikTok e-commerce its top growth channel.
Instead of spreading efforts across multiple products, they zoomed in on one problem-solving product — a hair detangling formula. The brand rolled out 200+ short clips, hosted 100+ live streams, and brought on 700+ creators to amplify the buzz. That wave of creator content sparked a 100× spike in GMV and a 10× jump in daily sales during the Tet campaign.
Over 90% of their revenue came from short-form videos. Their hashtag #dreamtrendvn hit 11 million views, and smart promotions like affiliate codes and shipping deals kept customers returning. Dreamtrend didn’t rely on flashy billboards. They relied on sharp content, timely campaigns, and a strong understanding of what beauty buyers want.
3. CAKES Body: From 500 Units to $2.5M in Monthly GMV
CAKES Body launched in 2022 in the U.S. with just 500 units of its ‘Grippy Not Sticky’ nipple covers right as the ‘No Bra’ trend exploded on TikTok, pulling in over 830 million views. That cultural moment matched perfectly with their product, and the team wasted no time.
By June 2024, they were hitting $1 million in weekly GMV. A month later, they sold 8,000 units for $230,000 in one day. Fast-forward to April 2025, they made $2.5 million in 30 days, averaging $82,000 in daily revenue.
Their growth came from consistent, high-volume content. The team posted 2 to 3 times a day, ran up to 120 live streams daily, and embraced a ‘post without approval’ mindset to keep momentum going. Their 4,600-strong affiliate network of real users shared honest, unfiltered reviews that connected with audiences. That raw authenticity didn’t just put them on TikTok’s US commerce charts—it kept them there.
These examples highlight how D2C brands can harness TikTok e-commerce by fostering genuine connections with audiences through relatable and engaging content.
How Can You Win With TikTok e-commerce?
Ready to make TikTok e-commerce work for you? Here are some practical steps to get started and grow your brand on the platform:
1. Lean Into UGC
TikTok users prize authenticity. Swap polished ads for user-generated content that truly connects. An influencer marketing tool like impulze.ai can help you find UGC creators quickly. You can use its search bar to look for social media users with public profiles who have used particular hashtags, mentions, and words in their post descriptions.
There’s a big difference between searching for creators on social media and using impulze.ai’s search bar. On social media, you have to sift through endless profiles, guessing who might be the right fit. With impulze.ai, you get instant access to detailed reports including audience demographics and follower insights. No more guesswork—just the right TikTok creators who match your target audience.
Plus, impulze.ai lets you manage creator outreach directly within the app, saving you time and effort.
2. Use Product Seeding
Product seeding is a helpful way to kickstart word-of-mouth and build social proof. Small businesses that don’t want to spend on sponsored posts or ads can use it to gain visibility without a big ad budget. Send your products to micro-influencers or nano-influencers who have a tight-knit community of followers. If they post positive reviews, this can help you build trust and have content you can repost.
To find the right influencers without switching between multiple platforms, search tools like SocialiQ let you discover creators seamlessly on social media, making it easier to connect and collaborate.
3. Optimize Your TikTok Shop
Listing products clearly on TikTok Shop is just the start. Use keyword-rich titles and descriptions that make your items easy to find. Tag your products directly in videos so viewers can shop without leaving the app. Pinned comments are a powerful way to guide customers to checkout or highlight special deals. Regularly update your shop with fresh content and offers to keep your audience engaged and coming back for more.
P.S.: If you’re new to TikTok Shop, here’s a guide that can help.
4. Track What Works and Double Down
Keep a close eye on views, engagement, and conversion rates to figure out which types of content perform best. For example, if you’re a makeup brand and tutorial videos generate the most sales, create more tutorial videos.
You can use impulze.ai to analyze each influencer’s engagement rates, website traffic, and conversions. These insights will help you understand what worked best. Refining your strategy based on this data can improve future UGC campaigns and get better results over time.
Challenges Facing TikTok E-commerce
Like any fast-growing platform, TikTok e-commerce has its hurdles. Here’s a look at some real challenges D2C brands face as they scale on the app:
1. Product Quality Concerns
Reports of counterfeit or low-grade items can erode trust. Stricter seller verification, clearer policies, and stronger buyer protection are essential.
2. Data Privacy Questions
Global growth brings scrutiny over user data. Transparency, regulatory compliance, and robust security measures are necessary to maintain consumer confidence.
3. Fulfillment Inconsistencies
Third-party sellers sometimes cause uneven shipping times and service. Improved logistics partnerships, processes, and tracking can smooth the experience.
4. Competitive Pressure
TikTok e-commerce competes with Instagram, Facebook, and Amazon, all of which are beefing up their e-commerce features. To stay ahead, TikTok must keep innovating with content-first shopping and unique algorithmic recommendations.
5. Regulatory and Economic Headwinds
Rising tariffs on Chinese imports and broader economic uncertainty have affected pricing and discouraged new sellers,especially in the U.S.
6. Health Risks From Fakes
Counterfeit beauty items pose health risks, such as allergic reactions or exposure to toxins. Stronger enforcement is necessary to protect shoppers.
7. Accounting and Reconciliation Hurdles
TikTok Shop bundles product subtotals, multiple discounts, shipping fees, and taxes in ways that don’t align neatly with platforms like Shopify. Reconciling payouts can be difficult, and free sample orders recorded as zero-dollar sales can skew revenue unless properly classified as marketing expenses or cost of goods sold.
Wrapping Up
TikTok e-commerce has quickly become a key growth channel for D2C brands. It’s where content, community, and conversion all come together. Brands that invest in the right creators and test smart content strategies are seeing real returns through shoppable videos, live sessions, and affiliate partnerships.
Whether you're scaling with TikTok Shop, testing affiliate networks, or leaning into live shopping, success comes down to working with the right creators and tracking what actually drives sales.
An influencer marketing tool like impulze.ai can make creator discovery, outreach, and managing relationships easy for you.
You can use our free plan to see if impulze.ai suits your needs.
Back in 2020, TikTok was all about viral dances and lip-sync trends. Fast-forward to 2021, and it started rolling out shopping features that turned it into a powerful driver of TikTok e-commerce.
Suddenly, users weren’t just watching content — they were discovering products and buying them without leaving the app. It was entertainment meets instant shopping.
From Entertainment to E-Commerce: The TikTok Shift
TikTok’s early steps into shopping started with creators casually featuring products in their videos. When those items started trending, TikTok saw an opportunity.
By 2021, it introduced in-app shopping, allowing brands to tag products directly in videos and live streams. That meant a 15-second product demo could lead straight to checkout without users leaving the app.
What Is TikTok e-commerce?
TikTok e-commerce blends short-form video with direct shopping. It’s not just about buying; it’s about discovering, engaging, and checking out—all in one seamless experience. Unlike traditional e-commerce, TikTok makes shopping feel spontaneous and social by using creator partnerships, interactive content, and quick-hit videos.
At the center of this ecosystem is TikTok Shop, which launched in the U.S. in late 2023 and gave TikTok e-commerce a serious boost. TikTok Shop lets people explore, interact with, and buy products in a single experience. Since then, it's become a go-to shopping destination, especially for younger consumers.
30% of U.S. TikTok users have purchased on TikTok Shop. Younger users, particularly, have helped fuel the platform’s rapid growth and shaped how brands approach video-driven commerce.
You’ll also find live shopping events, hosted by influencers who showcase products, answer questions in real time, and convert viewers into customers on the spot.
Shoppable videos allow users to tap on tagged products and make a purchase instantly. TikTok’s algorithm recommends products based on each user’s viewing habits, making the experience feel curated and personal.
Key features of TikTok Shop include:
In-App Shopping: Products appear in videos, live streams, and storefronts for effortless discovery
One-Click Checkout: Fast transactions via the integrated payment system
Creator-Driven Marketing: Influencers showcase products through demos, reviews, and live shopping sessions
Personalized Recommendations: TikTok’s algorithm suggests items based on each user’s engagement
If you're a D2C brand, TikTok Shop is your chance to bring product discovery and purchase into one place. Start by creating attention-grabbing videos tailored for TikTok Shop and pairing them with a solid video marketing strategy. The right combination can increase reach and conversions and maximize your TikTok e-commerce impact.
What’s Fueling TikTok’s E-Commerce Growth?
Here’s what’s helping TikTok e-commerce grow:
Highly Engaged Audience: Gen Z and Millennials don’t just scroll. They interact, share, and often buy on impulse. If growth is your goal, figuring out how to boost engagement on TikTok is worth your time.
Creator-Led Content: Influencers bring authenticity to the table. Their reviews and creative demos build trust and drive conversions.
Viral Product Moments: When something resonates, it spreads fast. One trending clip can turn into thousands of sales within hours.
Strong Visual Categories: Beauty, fashion, gadgets, and lifestyle products perform especially well in TikTok’s short-form, fast-moving format.
How D2C Brands Are Winning With TikTok e-commerce
1. Hair Syrup: From Bedroom Startup to £4.5M in Sales
In 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic, 24-year-old Lucie Macleod started mixing natural hair oil blends from her childhood bedroom in the UK. She couldn’t find hair treatments that worked for her, so she made her own. That’s how Hair Syrup was born.
The real turning point came when Lucie started using TikTok to share her story. Her content felt real, helpful, and totally relatable. Before long, her videos were blowing up, and so were her sales. By the end of 2024, Hair Syrup had hit £4.5 million in revenue, with projections showing it could reach £6.5 million in 2025.
And get this: after appearing on British TV program Dragons’ Den (where she didn’t even get a deal), her sales jumped by 66% and she gained 50,000 new followers overnight. That moment opened doors with major retailers like Boots, Superdrug, ASOS, and Beauty Bay.
Lucie’s story shows what’s possible when you mix problem-solving products with genuine content on TikTok. You don’t need a big budget. You just need something that connects.
2 - Dreamtrend: Vietnamese Beauty Brand Turned Short Videos Into Sales
In the lead-up to Lunar New Year 2024, Dreamtrend, a Vietnamese beauty brand best known for its detangling hair care line, made TikTok e-commerce its top growth channel.
Instead of spreading efforts across multiple products, they zoomed in on one problem-solving product — a hair detangling formula. The brand rolled out 200+ short clips, hosted 100+ live streams, and brought on 700+ creators to amplify the buzz. That wave of creator content sparked a 100× spike in GMV and a 10× jump in daily sales during the Tet campaign.
Over 90% of their revenue came from short-form videos. Their hashtag #dreamtrendvn hit 11 million views, and smart promotions like affiliate codes and shipping deals kept customers returning. Dreamtrend didn’t rely on flashy billboards. They relied on sharp content, timely campaigns, and a strong understanding of what beauty buyers want.
3. CAKES Body: From 500 Units to $2.5M in Monthly GMV
CAKES Body launched in 2022 in the U.S. with just 500 units of its ‘Grippy Not Sticky’ nipple covers right as the ‘No Bra’ trend exploded on TikTok, pulling in over 830 million views. That cultural moment matched perfectly with their product, and the team wasted no time.
By June 2024, they were hitting $1 million in weekly GMV. A month later, they sold 8,000 units for $230,000 in one day. Fast-forward to April 2025, they made $2.5 million in 30 days, averaging $82,000 in daily revenue.
Their growth came from consistent, high-volume content. The team posted 2 to 3 times a day, ran up to 120 live streams daily, and embraced a ‘post without approval’ mindset to keep momentum going. Their 4,600-strong affiliate network of real users shared honest, unfiltered reviews that connected with audiences. That raw authenticity didn’t just put them on TikTok’s US commerce charts—it kept them there.
These examples highlight how D2C brands can harness TikTok e-commerce by fostering genuine connections with audiences through relatable and engaging content.
How Can You Win With TikTok e-commerce?
Ready to make TikTok e-commerce work for you? Here are some practical steps to get started and grow your brand on the platform:
1. Lean Into UGC
TikTok users prize authenticity. Swap polished ads for user-generated content that truly connects. An influencer marketing tool like impulze.ai can help you find UGC creators quickly. You can use its search bar to look for social media users with public profiles who have used particular hashtags, mentions, and words in their post descriptions.
There’s a big difference between searching for creators on social media and using impulze.ai’s search bar. On social media, you have to sift through endless profiles, guessing who might be the right fit. With impulze.ai, you get instant access to detailed reports including audience demographics and follower insights. No more guesswork—just the right TikTok creators who match your target audience.
Plus, impulze.ai lets you manage creator outreach directly within the app, saving you time and effort.
2. Use Product Seeding
Product seeding is a helpful way to kickstart word-of-mouth and build social proof. Small businesses that don’t want to spend on sponsored posts or ads can use it to gain visibility without a big ad budget. Send your products to micro-influencers or nano-influencers who have a tight-knit community of followers. If they post positive reviews, this can help you build trust and have content you can repost.
To find the right influencers without switching between multiple platforms, search tools like SocialiQ let you discover creators seamlessly on social media, making it easier to connect and collaborate.
3. Optimize Your TikTok Shop
Listing products clearly on TikTok Shop is just the start. Use keyword-rich titles and descriptions that make your items easy to find. Tag your products directly in videos so viewers can shop without leaving the app. Pinned comments are a powerful way to guide customers to checkout or highlight special deals. Regularly update your shop with fresh content and offers to keep your audience engaged and coming back for more.
P.S.: If you’re new to TikTok Shop, here’s a guide that can help.
4. Track What Works and Double Down
Keep a close eye on views, engagement, and conversion rates to figure out which types of content perform best. For example, if you’re a makeup brand and tutorial videos generate the most sales, create more tutorial videos.
You can use impulze.ai to analyze each influencer’s engagement rates, website traffic, and conversions. These insights will help you understand what worked best. Refining your strategy based on this data can improve future UGC campaigns and get better results over time.
Challenges Facing TikTok E-commerce
Like any fast-growing platform, TikTok e-commerce has its hurdles. Here’s a look at some real challenges D2C brands face as they scale on the app:
1. Product Quality Concerns
Reports of counterfeit or low-grade items can erode trust. Stricter seller verification, clearer policies, and stronger buyer protection are essential.
2. Data Privacy Questions
Global growth brings scrutiny over user data. Transparency, regulatory compliance, and robust security measures are necessary to maintain consumer confidence.
3. Fulfillment Inconsistencies
Third-party sellers sometimes cause uneven shipping times and service. Improved logistics partnerships, processes, and tracking can smooth the experience.
4. Competitive Pressure
TikTok e-commerce competes with Instagram, Facebook, and Amazon, all of which are beefing up their e-commerce features. To stay ahead, TikTok must keep innovating with content-first shopping and unique algorithmic recommendations.
5. Regulatory and Economic Headwinds
Rising tariffs on Chinese imports and broader economic uncertainty have affected pricing and discouraged new sellers,especially in the U.S.
6. Health Risks From Fakes
Counterfeit beauty items pose health risks, such as allergic reactions or exposure to toxins. Stronger enforcement is necessary to protect shoppers.
7. Accounting and Reconciliation Hurdles
TikTok Shop bundles product subtotals, multiple discounts, shipping fees, and taxes in ways that don’t align neatly with platforms like Shopify. Reconciling payouts can be difficult, and free sample orders recorded as zero-dollar sales can skew revenue unless properly classified as marketing expenses or cost of goods sold.
Wrapping Up
TikTok e-commerce has quickly become a key growth channel for D2C brands. It’s where content, community, and conversion all come together. Brands that invest in the right creators and test smart content strategies are seeing real returns through shoppable videos, live sessions, and affiliate partnerships.
Whether you're scaling with TikTok Shop, testing affiliate networks, or leaning into live shopping, success comes down to working with the right creators and tracking what actually drives sales.
An influencer marketing tool like impulze.ai can make creator discovery, outreach, and managing relationships easy for you.
You can use our free plan to see if impulze.ai suits your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is TikTok an e-commerce?
Is TikTok an e-commerce?
Is TikTok an e-commerce?
How do I start an e-commerce on TikTok?
How do I start an e-commerce on TikTok?
How do I start an e-commerce on TikTok?
What is the TikTok agency for e-commerce?
What is the TikTok agency for e-commerce?
What is the TikTok agency for e-commerce?
What type of business is TikTok?
What type of business is TikTok?
What type of business is TikTok?
How much does TikTok pay per 1,000 views?
How much does TikTok pay per 1,000 views?
How much does TikTok pay per 1,000 views?
What is TikTok's biggest market?
What is TikTok's biggest market?
What is TikTok's biggest market?
In which country is TikTok banned?
In which country is TikTok banned?
In which country is TikTok banned?
Author Bio
Author Bio
Aishwarya Taskar
Aishwarya Taskar
Aishwarya Taskar is a full-time writer. She has studied journalism and marketing. In her free time, she loves watching films and spending time with animals. You can learn more about her here.
Aishwarya Taskar is a full-time writer. She has studied journalism and marketing. In her free time, she loves watching films and spending time with animals. You can learn more about her here.
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