Marks & Spencer recently announced that it would start selling some of its beauty range through TikTok. It’s a no-brainer for the retailer: a beauty product is sold every second on TikTok Shop, and 25% of Britons say they will use it to buy their Christmas goodies. If you haven’t bought something that way, picture a cross between Amazon and QVC. There is everything from books and clothes to groceries and beauty products. The app has endless deals, discounts and bright red countdowns that encourage you to “buy now”. The items you see are personalised, shaped by the all-powerful algorithm. I’m trying not to be offended at how often it suggests I buy serums that are like “botox in a bottle”.
TikTok’s struggles in the US are well documented, but in the UK it is booming. We have the most users in Europe, with more than 30 million people using the app each month. This week, celebrities and influencers will take to the red carpet for the TikTok awards celebrating creators, with a performance by Rizzle Kicks, in partnership with Sky and livestreamed on (you guessed it) TikTok.
