TikTok Shop, launched in September 2023, has become an e-commerce behemoth as its platform edges toward leaving the U.S. On Black Friday, TikTok Shop tripled its sales from the previous year, bringing in more than $100 million in just one day. 

But a new law requires the app's parent company to sell it or be banned in the U.S., which TikTok says could happen by Jan. 19. The Chinese-based app hasn't had much luck so far convincing the courts to let it remain in the U.S. On Monday, it asked the Supreme Court to weigh in. 

TikTok, which has 170 million American users, says its departure could result in a loss of more than $1 billion in revenue for small businesses and as much as $300 million in earnings in one month for creators. A survey in March showed that most users would move to YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels if TikTok leaves.

Additionally, TikTok operations contributed $8.5 billion to the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2023. The platform’s advertising, marketing and organic reach contributed much more to the GDP, adding $24.2 billion. GDP is often used as a measure of economic output and activity. 

Related

TikTok Shop items are as diverse as its sellers. However, certain product categories are far more popular than others. 

According to Statista research, beauty and personal care items took the top spot in the volume of products sold worldwide in 2023, clocking in at 370 million. Womenswear and underwear came in second, selling close to 285 million products. 

We need your help to stay independent

Food and beverage products came in third, selling 138 million items. Home supplies on TikTok Shop sold about 137.5 million items. Rounding out the top five, fashion accessories on TikTok Shop sold about 98 million items in 2023. 

In 2024, sales continue booming. “January 1 through the end of November, there's already been 6.1 billion in sales in just the U.S. in TikTok Shop, which is insane. Think about how many years it took for Amazon to get to that kind of scale. The fact that........

© Salon