TikTok Shop is now just as big as eBay The platform has caught up with the American giant of second-hand shopping

There was a time when TikTok's future was not just uncertain, but worse: it seemed doomed. With Trump threatening to shut down the app in America, its largest market, the Chinese platform risked losing users and consumers. But recent decisions have clarified once and for all that TikTok will remain in the country: together with China, the United States finalized an agreement to transfer the American version of TikTok to new owners, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Along with it, TikTok Shop, the in-app shopping platform that is now as big as eBay, will also be transferred.

TikTok Shop is magical for fashion brands

Launched just over a year ago and arriving in Europe only at the beginning of 2025, TikTok Shop quickly established itself in the international market. In just one year, the marketplace has managed to compete with giants like Sephora, Ulta, and even Amazon, becoming for some brands the second driver of sales after traditional channels. From a space once perceived as a digital flea market, TikTok Shop has gradually taken the shape of a more solid commercial infrastructure, with dedicated fulfillment centers, customer loyalty programs, and anti-counterfeit policies designed to contain the dupe phenomenon.

It is effectively a strategic sales channel even for established brands like Crocs – Zalando has even attributed part of its quarterly growth to the platform and integrated e-commerce. Beauty and apparel companies have recorded significant percentages of their e-commerce directly on the app, confirming that TikTok's strength is no longer just virality, but also the ability to convert discovery into immediate purchase.

Sales on par with eBay

According to an analysis by EchoTik, between July and September this year TikTok Shop sold goods worth $19 billion worldwide – of which between $4 and $4.5 billion were in the United States alone, a 125% sales increase compared to the previous three months. Wired compared these numbers to eBay, which sold goods worth just over $20 billion between July and September 2025. The amazing thing is that TikTok Shop was launched worldwide only this year, whereas eBay has existed for thirty years.

The hegemony of livestream shopping

The trick that transformed TikTok from a social media app into a digital store that sells endlessly seems to be livestreams. Content creators, especially in China, who promote products live on TikTok are able to easily convince consumers to purchase – partly due to instant buying, which fuels shopping addiction, and partly because a trust relationship is established between user and creator.

For now, TikTok Shop sales in China continue to far exceed those in the United States. According to the CEO of CHC Fashion Group, which organizes livestreams for American sellers, only 20% of U.S. users use TikTok for shopping, and only 10% watch the live streams, whereas in China, live shopping is used by 50% of the user base.