While the in-stream shopping push hasn't taken off as the company had hoped, users of TikTok are spending money within the app, so at least for some time to come, expanded opportunities there won't close their door.

New data from data.ai reveals that users of TikTok spent $3.8 billion in the app throughout 2023 – 15% year-over-year growth, and a massive opportunity the firm has to become, effectively, a broader marketplace.
And it is not limited to Asian markets alone where that spending is occurring.

Data.ai says:

Consumers in the United States are matched with iOS users in China for their share of TikTok's lifetime revenue. Both have accounted for around 30% on their own, and together account for 60% of the total, or $6 billion. Coming off of that tie for #1, rounding out the top five markets are Saudi Arabia at #2, Germany at #3, the United Kingdom at #4 and Japan at #5. Those four countries alone account for about 13% of the app's IAP revenue." 

So, while things remain quite strong in China, where TikTok has had huge success, things are also going well for Western users who spend in the app.

As data.ai tracks the activity of apps, TikTok Coins are reportedly currently the biggest moneymaker for TikTok. With TikTok Coins, users can buy virtual gifts inside the app that they can then trade for real-world currency.
Obvious, of course, is that TikTok is creating a buying ecosystem to assist artists on the app, though, as already noted, that has not necessarily equated to a more comprehensive eCommerce marketplace, something that TikTok has been called upon to do in order to maximize its potential fully.

In-stream shopping has become the primary revenue generator for the Chinese version of the app, known as "Douyin," where in-app purchases today are a classic extension from initial view activity.
The company has been working to establish the same in Western regions, but so far, consumers from Western countries have been less excited by the prospect of shopping on TikTok. Still, these figures of spending here suggest that it isn't because of a reluctance towards spending money in the general case of the app.

TikTok, for example, has gained popularity with in-app shopping in other Asian countries, such as Indonesia. It recently became the way to continue its shopping effort after the Indonesian Government tried to ban in-app sales, fearing it could affect the nation's smaller businesses.

So, there is greater potential for TikTok to make sales in-stream, it just hasn't unlocked yet how to influence western shoppers to expand their consumption behaviors.

Expect TikTok to make an even larger play here, most likely through food delivery purchases in-stream, which has already been monstrously popular in China.
If the app can get more people spending more money within it, then it will be able to build on its revenue and revenue share potential, which may well be key to maximizing what the platform offers from here on out.