The Chinese short video giant will continue pushing its in-stream shopping options, this time via a new partnership with the British Beauty Council, which will see TikTok offering platform growth advice to various U.K. beauty brands.

The British Beauty Council is an industry trade body operating in the interests of the wider beauty industry, and therefore has a connection with most of the UK beauty brands. Through this partnership with TikTok there will be direct contact through to these businesses, to help them tap into emerging opportunities within the app.

TikTok has said

This partnership will help TikTok Shop lift the lid on how beauty brands 'win' at LIVE shopping sessions on the platform and learn best-in-class tips of the trade from one of TikTok Shop's best-performing LIVE beauty sellers.

It is the first education session for this partnership and how, via LIVE sale events, TikTok is going to demonstrate how Mitchell Halliday became the first merchant to make $1M in a single day on TikTok Shop.
Where TikTok really sees massive potential is in allowing retailers to make live sales. That's been a killer format in China, where sales now breach over $500 billion per year.

TikTok is still miles away from this, but the idea is that if it can succeed in making Western shoppers excited about the opportunity of live-stream sales then there could be major growth opportunities for the app.

There's little evidence that's likely to change, at least in the short term. After all, most Western consumers appear to be completely unmoved by the idea of buying through social apps. But you can see the angle, with TikTok supporting a total of $3.8 billion in app spend throughout 2023.

And that may not be particularly high, but sales on TikTok are increasing, especially in some categories:

A beauty product is sold every two seconds on TikTok Shop. Beauty brands from big names to small businesses use TikTok Shop to tap into new heights of expansion and reach TikTok's vast, active audience through its special features, including LIVE shopping.
TikTok also recently reported it is now the second-largest online beauty and wellness retailer in the U.K., so again, you can see the potential that TikTok's eyeing, as it continues to promote its in-app sales options.
 
Will that work, and will TikTok shopping ever catch on?

It has been touting this for a few years with little to show, but at least some evidence that something may be happening. And while it's not growing nearly as fast as it is in China, it's certainly grounds enough for TikTok to keep going and continue to push its in-app selling options.

So, even if it takes a little longer, TikTok's shopping push does make sense.

It is being followed by TikTok's first event with the British Beauty Council on 24 October as part of British Beauty Week. TikTok Shop will host a live broadcast on 24th October with Mitchell Halliday "to showcase the power of LIVE shopping.".