TikTok Shop is set to expand its e-commerce operations in Europe, launching in France, Germany, and Italy on Monday. The move comes as the platform faces an uncertain future in the United States, where its parent company, ByteDance, is under pressure to sell its American operations or risk a ban.
Since its UK debut in 2021, TikTok Shop has grown rapidly, entering the U.S. market in September 2023 and seeing strong sales, particularly during the holiday season. Now, the company is looking to accelerate its European rollout. “In France, Germany, and Italy, we are already working with merchants to get their products listed on the platform,” said Jan Wilk, head of operations at TikTok Shop UK. He noted that the European launch is expected to progress more quickly than the UK rollout, as sellers and consumers are now more familiar with the model.
TikTok Shop has been actively onboarding European-based merchants, aiming to diversify its product offerings beyond Chinese-manufactured goods. In France, supermarket giant Carrefour will join the platform, while Germany’s fast-fashion retailer AboutYou and cosmetics brand Cosnova are set to launch their stores.
The platform is widely recognized for livestream shopping, where users promote and sell products, often at discounted prices. However, Wilk emphasized efforts to expand the range of available products and price points. He pointed to the UK market, where a luxury goods store has successfully sold second-hand Birkin bags through TikTok Shop, illustrating the platform’s potential to move beyond low-cost items.
