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TikTok is no longer just a space for trends it’s now driving real sales. With creators leading the way, social commerce is reshaping how UK consumers discover, trust and buy from brands.
If you told me a few years ago that TikTok would become one of the most powerful retail platforms in the UK, I wouldn’t have believed it. It was a place for trends, entertainment and creativity. Yet in 2025, it has quietly evolved into a marketplace where discovery, influence and purchase all happen in one feed.
For a lot of brands, this shift feels both exciting and uncertain. The old rules of eCommerce are changing fast, and the brands that adapt early are already seeing the benefits.
The growth of social commerce in the UK has been impossible to ignore. According to GlobeNewswire (2025), the UK’s social commerce market is expanding by more than 22% year on year, projected to reach $49 billion in 2025. Consumers are no longer just seeing products on social media, they’re buying them there. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube have reduced the gap between discovery and checkout. Shopping now feels social, seamless and spontaneous, driven by the creators people already follow and trust.
This isn’t a passing trend. It’s the way modern audiences, especially Gen Z and millennials, prefer to shop — and it’s influencing how every generation interacts with brands.
At the centre of this transformation are creators. They’ve become the new storefronts of the digital world.
More than 200,000 UK businesses are now active on TikTok Shop, and live-shopping sessions have increased by 64% year on year, according to Link Digital (2025).
Most of this growth isn’t coming from big-budget advertising. It’s coming from creators sharing products they actually use and love — and audiences are responding with trust that traditional ads can’t match.
What makes creator marketing so effective is authenticity. People want to see real products in real life, not polished ad campaigns. That’s why micro-influencers are often outperforming major brand ambassadors. Their content feels personal, relatable and genuine.
Traditional advertising is facing fatigue. Polished brand campaigns often get ignored, while creator-led content blends naturally into the feed.
A report from ProfileTree (2025) found that 56% of UK consumers have already made a purchase directly through a social or entertainment platform. That figure shows just how deeply integrated shopping has become with social experiences.
When someone you trust shows you how a product fits into their life, it feels honest. That emotional connection drives purchase intent faster than any remarketing campaign or banner ad ever could.
Success on TikTok Shop isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about understanding how authenticity and data can work together.
At Digitox, we help brands:
The brands winning in 2025 are those treating TikTok and other social platforms not as ad spaces, but as marketplaces powered by creativity and connection.
Creators are no longer just influencers. They’re trusted voices, storytellers and digital shopfronts rolled into one. As the creator economy continues to shape UK eCommerce, the question every brand should be asking is simple.
Are you selling where your audience is already shopping?
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