Tikok conquers Japan: Start of the e-commerce revolution!

Tikok conquers Japan: Start of the e-commerce revolution!

TIKTOK plans to enter the online shopping industry in Japan in the next few months. This is reported by the Nikkei finance newspaper, citing information from an insider. The company is preparing for the recruitment of sellers to support the new market entry. This step is part of Tikkok's expansive strategy, which has experienced significant development in e-commerce in recent years.

The TikTok shop, which enables users to make purchases within the app, has been available in France and Germany since March 2025. Last week the platform was also introduced in Italy to further expand the range in Europe. With this new step in Japan, Tiktok is expected to strengthen its position in global social trade.

growth and challenges

In recent years, Tikkok has added considerable e-commerce functions that increased the gross rare value (GMV) from Tikok Shops of around $ 1 billion in 2021 to impressive $ 33 billion in 2024. The e-commerce market for TikTok is considered successfully in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia. Indonesia alone makes up a fifth of the worldwide active Tikok shops.

The United States is the largest e-commerce market for TikTok, with a GMV of around $ 9 billion in 2024, followed by Indonesia with $ 6.2 billion. It is striking that the category of beauty and personal care is the most successful on TikK Shops worldwide, with almost $ 2.5 billion GMV and around $ 370 million sold in 2024.

uncertain future in the USA

Despite the global growth, the future of Tikkok remains uncertain in the USA. US President Donald Trump has announced that it is postponing the planned agreement on the sale of Tiktok in the USA until the trade question has been clarified with China. In addition, Tiktok is faced with a possible nationwide ban, unless the parent company bytedance can find an American buyer.

TIKTOK experiences an accelerated expansion in Europe and opened its shops in the United Kingdom in 2021 and continued to plan to introduce a Tikok shop in Spain at the end of 2024. The engagement in e-commerce confirms Tikok's position as one of the important actors in social trade, even in the face of the challenges in the USA. Despite the risks and uncertainties, Tikkok remains an innovative and dynamic player in global online trading.

For more information about e-commerce trends on TikKOK and their effects on the market, see also Statista.