TikTok proves power of in-person shopping with first-ever pop-up shop on Oxford Street

TikTok Shop UK opened the doors to its first-ever brick-and-mortar pop-up shop on London’s Oxford Street in London, to harness the power of shopping in real life (IRL) and showcase its breadth of brands and creators selling on the platform.

The pop-up, which isn’t open to the public, was open to merchants and creators from 30 June to 6 July. The space, managed by Sook, was arranged by dedicated categories, one of which was focused on #hair.

TikTok was inspired to create the pop-up after data showed that 50% of its users purchased an item after watching a TikTok LIVE. What's more, TikTok users are 1.7x more likely to watch branded LIVES to buy products than non-users.

The social media app is the home to a new kind of shopping culture, dubbed 'community commerce' - a unique blend of community, entertainment and shopping. For example, hashtags such as #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt have reached over 60 billion views, with products ranging from fashion to beauty and more. What makes TikTok unique, is its ability for brands - no matter their size – to be discovered and sell their products all in-app.

The pop-up housed a range of hair, home & living, electronics and more. This included the world-renowned hair tech brand Cloud Nine, known for its circling wands and straightening devices.

Patrick Nommensen, GM of e-commerce at TikTok, commented: "TikTok's community has created a brand new era of social commerce opportunities, where a single piece of content can quickly go viral and create both demand and opportunity. We've seen merchants and creators transform their businesses and their lives in a way that would be impossible on any other platform.

"Through this exciting pop-up shop on the iconic Oxford Street, we hope to shine a light on the opportunities available for merchants and creators to be discovered and thrive on the platform."