Small business owners across the UK are discovering a new way to boost their sales: live streaming on TikTok. By setting up a smartphone and interacting directly with viewers, sellers can answer questions and showcase products to hundreds of shoppers at the same time.
For many sellers, the results have been life-changing. Manny Malik, a butcher from Wolverhampton, recently made £8,000 during a single three-hour live stream. In his family shop, selling that much meat usually takes three to four days. Another entrepreneur, Buket Sevik, started selling her jewelry on TikTok Live in May after quitting her office job. Her orders jumped from 50 a month to 500 a week, allowing her to expand her business while keeping a flexible schedule as a mother.
Live shopping is rapidly becoming a regular habit for modern consumers. TikTok reports that its UK sales grew by more than 30% year-on-year in June, with over 6,000 live streams happening every day. A recent survey by retail agency Savvy Marketing revealed that 30% of shoppers have bought something during a live stream event. Furthermore, 66% of younger shoppers said that seeing items go viral or sell out quickly made them want to buy.
However, selling and buying on live streams also come with challenges. Sellers must pay fees of up to 9p per £1 sold on TikTok Shop. Meanwhile, debt advice experts warn that live shopping can cause people to spend too much money. Features like one-tap payment make buying effortless, which can lead to impulse purchases before shoppers realize how much they have spent.