TikTok has announced that itsTikTok Shop platform is making a shift from invite only to fully open access. This move means businesses and brands anywhere across Ireland can sell through TikTok without needing to be invited on, as was the previous model.
This new direction brings huge growth opportunities, for small businesses in particular, who will now have the chance to reach the same audiences as some of the largest retailers in the country.
The announcement was made by Head of TikTok Shop Ireland, Katey McElroy, during a Creator Matchmaking event in Dublin in partnership with Guaranteed Ireland. “It was Irish businesses and Irish creators backing each other, building something together,” she said.
Described as the “Lisdoonvarna of e-commerce”, the aim of the event was to introduce creators and brands to interact and find the best partnerships. TikTok Shop allows for a new kind of partnership for creators. By selling through TikTok, the need for upfront payment, contracts and any guess work that comes along with it is bypassed. Influencers are paid to post about a product, whereas TikTok Shop creators are only paid if they sell the product whether through shoppable videos posted to their accounts or by hosting Live shopping events. Creators can work directly with brands through TikTok Shop and build an income for themselves through their sales.
Speaking of what she has built from TikTok Shop, one content creator, Tracey Dylan said, “What started as sharing my story has grown into a real and consistent source of income through TikTok Shop”. TikTok says the number of creators in its affiliated TikTok Shop programme has grown by 600% since launching in December of 2024.
TikTok and Guaranteed Irish are in their second year of partnership and pride themselves on the growth opportunities TikTok Shop has provided for Irish businesses and the growth in ecommerce that gas been seen. According to TikTok’s reports, there has been a huge appetite for all things Irish made, with searches for “#claddagh” growing by 200% and searches for “#shopirish” doubling in the last year.
Journalist Éabha MacDonagh went along to the event and got to speak with some of the homegrown brands in attendance. She noted that TikTok Shop is the place to be for all things wellness with Irish brands like Gigi Supplements, Pure Power and Femfuelz all selling through the platform.
Fíor jewellery are bang on trend with all of their claddaghs in various forms, and they say TikTok Shop has helped them see a lot of growth since joining, with founder Sean Leddin saying “It has given us a way to reach customers all over Ireland who genuinely connect with the story behind our brand”
Beauty is also a huge sector on the platform with brands like Sosu, BPerfect, Voduz, Ella + Joe and Elave all speaking to Éabha about how they have seen growth through the app. When speaking with skincare brand Elave’s representatives, they told Éabha their Eye Rescue Serum is their best seller on the app whereas in regular retailers it would not have been a standout product. She also discovered on the day that the audience of Irish shoppers on TikTok Shop is broader than many expect, with those aged 46 to 61 accounting for the largest share of shoppers at 37%, followed by 30 to 45 year-olds at 34% and 18 to 29 year-olds at 27%.
As more brands begin to move to TikTok Shop, it is important to know how exactly to shop on the app. Products can be shopped from shoppable videos posted by creators, in live shopping events hosted by creators or brands, or directly from brands’ pages, where their entire shop can be perused and purchased from.
