TikTok Shop establishes itself in European retail in 2026: numbers and retailer strategies

TikTok Shop is developing into an independent sales channel in Europe – social commerce is continuing to take shape. Following launches in several countries in June 2026, the platform is now active in ten European markets. For Germany, France, Spain, and Italy, Kalodata estimates the gross merchandise value processed through TikTok Shop in the 90 days leading up to July 9, 2026, at just under 499 million euros. Here's an overview of the current developments, along with some of the strategies retailers are already testing.

On June 15, 2026, TikTok Shop launched in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Poland, bringing the platform to ten European markets in total. Alongside these four new countries, the list includes the United Kingdom (live since 2021), Ireland and Spain (launched in late 2024), and Germany, France, and Italy (which followed in March 2025). Those last four markets in particular had already built a solid foundation: more than 100,000 businesses had signed on in these countries and in Ireland since launch. According to TikTok, daily gross merchandise value (GMV) in these markets grew at a triple-digit percentage rate between August 2025 and February 2026.

Just how significant the channel has become is clear from recent estimates: in Germany, France, Spain, and Italy alone, TikTok Shop generated close to 499 million euros in sales in the 90 days leading up to July 9, 2026, according to an analysis of Kalodata data conducted by e-commerce company Lengow. Germany accounted for 35 percent of that total on its own.

What stands out most is how this revenue is generated. Nearly 70 percent of the estimated merchandise volume in the four markets ran through affiliated creators rather than brand-owned shops or TikTok's own marketplace tab. Shoppable video – not livestreaming – was responsible for roughly two-thirds of the estimated merchandise volume. In other words, the numbers suggest that TikTok Shop currently runs on content and creators, with the traditional shop tab playing a smaller role.

Big names have long since followed their audience. Besides Kaufland and Lidl UK, TikTok itself cites Carrefour, L'Oréal, MAC Cosmetics, NIVEA, Philips, Rossmann, The Body Shop, and SharkNinja as brands succeeding on the platform across Europe. Kalodata estimates back up the strong position of individual brands: Ninja Kitchen topped the rankings in Germany, Spain, and Italy over a recent 30-day window.

Retailers are taking different, notably cautious approaches. In February 2025, Lidl UK deliberately positioned itself as the first supermarket to run a temporary promotion on TikTok Shop, pairing the launch with limited-edition high-protein bundles, merchandise, and a tie-in with a charitable cause. Kaufland followed in June 2025 with a time-limited test format: two product boxes from its private label Bevola, supported by influencer videos. Rossmann entered comparatively late and cautiously in March 2026 – initially with just three skincare products from its private label Isana in the in-demand Korean skincare segment.

The US market shows where this development could be headed. TikTok Shop has been running there since 2023, and retailers from Ulta Beauty to Ralph Lauren to Olaplex have opened their own shops to reach customers who might otherwise never visit a website. Sales momentum is strong – but so is growing skepticism regarding profitability: analytics professionals are questioning whether the impulse-buying and discount culture prevalent on the platform will erode margins in the long run, even though its share of total retail sales remains in the low single digits for now.

The appeal for retailers is obvious: be present where consumers already spend their time, and shorten the path from discovery to purchase. But the European numbers also show that the channel plays by its own rules. Success depends heavily on creator partnerships rather than owned ad space – meaning ongoing commission costs instead of one-time setup costs. A channel meant to actually drive sales is also hard to run as an afterthought: it demands its own formats, continuous content production, and an understanding of how platform aesthetics and sales logic work together. Retailers who treat TikTok Shop merely as an extra sales channel without a dedicated strategy are likely to fall short of the potential the current numbers point to. Whether TikTok Shop becomes a mainstay of European retail or remains a notable niche is still an open question.