TikTok Shop has become the UK’s second-largest beauty retailer, after category sales surged 60 per cent last year.
This dramatic increase in sales is according to new research examining the platform’s impact on the British economy.
The report, produced by consultancy Public First and commissioned by TikTok, estimated that activity supported by the social media platform generated at least £10bn in gross value added during 2025 and sustained 153,000 jobs.
The report claimed that TikTok could contribute a further £27bn to the UK economy by 2030 as more businesses use the platform to reach customers, work with creators and sell products directly.
Beauty took premier place as one of TikTok Shop’s strongest categories, with the platform claiming its rapid growth has made it the UK’s fourth-largest retailer in the sector.
Around 30 per cent of young adults, equivalent to 1.8 million people, described TikTok as their main source of fashion and beauty recommendations.
A fifth of TikTok creators post content related to fashion, beauty or skincare, while 80 per cent of businesses operating in the two sectors said being featured on the platform could improve their sales and revenue.
TikTok said 85 per cent of UK businesses using the platform had worked with creators, while 28 per cent reported selling out of a product as a result of activity on TikTok or TikTok Shop.
The platform has also increasingly influenced physical retail. An estimated 4.3 million people visited a local independent shop after discovering it through TikTok, according to the research.
TikTok previously revealed that beauty-focused live shopping broadcasts increased 90 per cent in 2025, while the number of active TikTok Shop creators grew by more than 72 per cent.
The popularity of Korean beauty helped drive the category’s growth, with K-beauty searches on TikTok Shop climbing 125 per cent. The average basket value for K-beauty brands was almost 35 per cent higher than the wider skincare average as shoppers bought products for multi-step routines.
TikTok said success online was also translating into high street expansion. Beauty Crop secured a Boots listing following demand generated through TikTok Shop, while viral interest in Mixsoon products attracted the attention of other UK beauty retailers.
TikTok president for Europe Cynthia Sanfilippo described the platform as a “window into the real world”, adding that its impact extended from creators building businesses to independent retailers experiencing increased sales and footfall.
The Public First report combined economic modelling from EY with surveys of 4,158 UK adults, 1,034 businesses and 336 creators.
TikTok now has more than 30 million monthly active users in the UK, more than a third of whom are aged 35 or over.
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