Physical pop-ups, business hubs, and product discoveries: TikTok’s ecommerce empire is growing

With its latest push into the world of retail, TikTok is looking to create what it calls “a new kind of shopping culture.” The app’s “community commerce” is on display at its first-ever brick-and-mortar location, which popped up last month in London.

The physical storefront is located on Oxford St. in central London, just a few Tube stops away from TikTok’s U.K. headquarters. According to a TikTok Newsroom post, the store is not open to the public. Instead, it is serving as a space where merchants and creators can mingle.

The store kicked off on June 30 with a week-long initiative that focused on three categories: Tech, home & living, and books. Vendors who set up shop for that gathering included kitchen brand Sage Studios, drone business DJI, and publisher HarperCollins.

By providing a new space for merchants, TikTok is continuing to grow its TikTok Shop ecommerce initiative, which got off to a rocky start in Britain. The app has also made plans to sell and ship its own inventory; that effort includes a platform called Trendy Beat, which has gone live in the U.K.

At the same time, TikTok’s Oxford Street location is more than just a retail venture. It’s also a place where creators can come together and take advantage of networking opportunities. In the pop-up’s early days, TikTokers like Luke Cameron

and Lagom Chef showed up to host live broadcasts. With that sort of activity, the new venture resembles the creator spaces operated by YouTube in the 2010s.

@lopwert Behind the scenes at TikTok Shop on Oxford Street with @eFones UK #lopwert #phone #infinix ♬ original sound – Luke

“TikTok’s community has created a brand new era of social commerce opportunities, where a single piece of content can quickly go viral and create both demand and opportunity,” said TikTok’s Senior Director of eCommerce Patrick Nommensen in a statement. “We’ve seen merchants and creators transform their businesses and their lives in a way that would be impossible on any other platform.”

Brands that buy into TikTok’s retail ventures can take advantage of the app’s marketing potential. According to TikTok data shared by AdAge, 57% of Gen Z weekly TikTok users use ads to discover products and brands.

AdAge also noted that 77% of creators like it when brands use relevant memes and trends in their ads. TikTok uses its Creative Hub to help businesses stay up to date on current internet culture.