Retail Technology Show 2025 conference review: how TikTok Shop is shaking up e-commerce

TikTok Shop tells attendees at Retail Technology Show in London that live shopping events are helping brands bring in huge sales numbers, with startups and founder led brands leading the way.

“The biggest trend is live shopping,” claimed Nora Zukauskaite, Integrated Marketing Director at TikTok Shop UK & EU. Speaking at ExCel, she explained how livestreamed shopping events are proving hugely successful for retailers using the platform. 

Zukauskaite predicted that 2025 will be the year that live shopping events become mainstream, adding that the format is especially helpful for products where demonstrations are key, such as fashion and beauty.

“It becomes an entertainment show in itself,” she said, with brands offering dynamic pricing, competitions and prizes throughout the live shopping events. “We really see it as entertainment powered by commerce.”

TikTok’s live shopping events go beyond the scope of traditional TV shopping channels, with hosts able to interact with customers and respond to comments and feedback, often recommending products in response to queries.

“It’s like a personal shopper,” Zukauskaite commented. “TV doesn’t give you those real-time conversations with your customers.” 

Another advantage TikTok Shop has is the relative ease with which a store can be set up. “Some brands literally start with just a phone in their kitchen,” Zukauskaite stated. “As the business scales, you might have a studio space of your own.”

Beauty brand P Louise was highlighted as a particular success on TikTok Shop, after selling $2 million of its products in 12 hours during a live TikTok Shop event last August, breaking records for the platform, which Zukauskaite attributed to the brand’s focus on quality content.

“Content is key,” she explained, adding that brands need to remember this when looking to increase sales on TikTok Shop. “People think opening a shop is almost a guarantee of success but this platform requires effort on your content.”

Also in the beauty space, L’Oreal has been expanding its efforts on TikTok Shop too. In 2024, it hosted the platform’s first Super Brand Day in the UK, with the event projected onto the screens at Piccadilly Corner in London.

Zukauskaite also highlighted the recent success of Lidl, which became the first supermarket to launch on TikTok Shop in February, offering a limited edition protein bundle, which sold out in just 18 minutes. More recently, Lidl launched its version of ‘Dubai style chocolate’ on the platform, selling 72 bars a minute.

Both sales events generated significant press coverage for the supermarket, putting them at the forefront of digital innovation, despite not being a digital brand by nature, Zukauskaite claimed.

“We see a lot of brands learning from found-led startups,” she said. “It’s as if the little brands are paving the way for the bigger companies.”

The biggest misconception TikTok Shop struggles with is the assumption its platform is only used by Gen Z consumers. Zukauskaite said this is not the case, with Millennials and Gen Z also key customers and the app now reaching “every age group”.

Another common misunderstanding is around price point, with many assuming only low value items sell well on TikTok Shop. “We have a phenomenal brand selling pre-owned luxury bags. More and more brands are launching with premium price points,” Zukauskaite said.

“The platform is growing with our sellers,” she added. “It’s a partnership and we are growing together.”