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Uzone.id —Started as a platform for dance challenges and viral trends, TikTok has quickly evolved into a powerhouse social media app. It’s not just a place to watch short videos; it’s a hub for entertainment, discovery, and even shopping.
Gen Z, the driving force behind TikTok’s popularity, has embraced the app in a big way. Over 60% of TikTok users belong to this generation, born after 1996. With a massive user base of over 1.1 billion, TikTok has taken the world by storm, transforming the way people consume and interact with content.
One of the most significant ways TikTok has impacted Gen Z is through shopping. Instead of relying on traditional search engines like Google, 43% of Gen Z consumers now start their online product searches on TikTok (according to Jungle Scout’s Q1 2023 Consumer Trends report).
TikTok’s unique algorithm and viral culture have made it a powerful tool for influencing purchasing decisions, particularly among this younger generation.
The Rise of “TikTok Made Me Buy It” trend
Everything started with trends. From a simple hashtag, then turn into a cultural thing. TikTok has its shopping-driven subculture and it’s often identified by the hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt.
Just like the name, this hashtag is rising where users share videos of products they’ve purchased after seeing them on TikTok, thanks to the influencers or TikTokers for sharing a lot of dairy products so Gen Z became curious and ended up buying them.
From beauty products to kitchen gadgets, this trend sees everyday users sharing products they’ve bought because of TikTok recommendations.
Based on Shopify, the hashtag currently has over 60 billion views, showcasing the power of the platform in influencing purchasing decisions. For example, Little Moons mochi ice cream saw a 700 percent increase in sales at UK supermarket Tesco after going viral on TikTok.
It’s not only about trends and being FOMO, for Gen Z, TikTok is like a trustworthy source for product recommendations compared to traditional influencers or celebrities.
The contents feel more genuine and relatable, they said. Rather than watching a boring commercial, viewers are seeing real people use products in their everyday lives. Once they booming, it leads to impulse buys.
According to a report by Kantar, 33 percent of TikTok users in the U.S. said they’ve purchased a product after seeing it on the platform. See, this is how big TikTok is in the shopping habit.
The Power of “FYP” Content
TikTok’s algorithm is key to its success in shaping shopping habits. The app’s “For You Page” (FYP) curates content based on a user’s past interactions, making it a personalized feed of videos.
This FYP thing has proven to be a powerful tool for all brands–small or big to get customers, it is because their products can reach millions of people through viral videos and user posts. Through this experience, Gen Z discovers products in a more real and relatable way.
“It allows small brands to compete with big retailers,” said Kayla Marci, a market analyst at EDITED.
One viral video can lead to thousands of purchases within hours, something that traditional advertising cannot do immediately.
Shopping directly on TikTok, it’s called TikTok Shop
Just like we said before, TikTok isn’t just a place to find videos anymore. It’s way richer than that. This app becoming a platform for direct shopping through its feature called TikTok Shop.
This feature exists in many countries, like Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and more. With this feature, users can buy products without ever leaving TikTok.
This experience is perfect for Gen Z, who tend to have shorter attention spans and prefer quick, easy transactions.
In a survey by EMarketer, 61 percent of Gen Z respondents said they prefer making purchases on their phones, and TikTok’s seamless shopping integration taps right into that behavior.
By allowing users to discover, learn about, and buy products all within one platform, TikTok is cutting down on the friction traditionally associated with online shopping.
TikTok is still the only app that has this kind of feature. Instagram and Facebook have shopping features, but they can’t compete with TikTok Shop. TikTok’s live shopping events, often featuring influencers, are especially popular, combining entertainment with real-time shopping opportunities.
For Gen Z, shopping isn’t just a transactional activity, it’s a social one. TikTok has turned shopping into an experience, where users can share what they’ve bought, talk about products, and even participate in challenges related to shopping trends. This is how TikTok changed the way Gen Z buys products, from a simple activity into engaging and even participating in being part of a community.
