How to Launch Your Brand on TikTok Shop UK

Last updated: 17 October 2026

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According to OpenBorder's analysis, US TikTok Shop stores that have expanded into the UK are seeing UK revenue account for roughly 34% of their US TikTok Shop revenue, with a median of 30%. So the median store makes about $3 on TikTok Shop UK for every $10 it makes on TikTok Shop US.

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As of late 2023, there are over 500,000 merchants that sell on TikTok Shop. TikTok is unusual because it both builds awareness and drives sales. Amazon captures demand that already exists, and Meta and Instagram are less effective at building awareness at scale but very effective at bottom-of-funnel demand capture. There are already signs of brands building 8-figure businesses with TikTok Shop as the primary channel of spend.

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These were the top 10 US sellers on TikTok Shop on 16 October 2024, the date of the screenshot below:

Some of the brands doing well on TikTok Shop started there; others are household DTC and omnichannel names.

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The TikTok Shop audience

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At first glance, it makes sense to focus on Gen Z (ages 12 to 27): almost 45% of TikTok's user base falls into this age range. This translates to around 75 million potential buyers, whether Gen Z themselves or their parents, out of TikTok's 170 million US users as of April 2024.

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Content and checkout sit in the same app, and early movers are seeing the benefit. At this stage the platform offers clear advantages:

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• Lower CPC and CPA: TikTok's less crowded space helps brands cut costs on ads and customer acquisition
• Better ROAS: with less competition, TikTok's content format drives higher engagement and more efficient ad spend
• Room for A/B testing: TikTok's trend-driven environment suits testing campaigns before launching them on bigger platforms

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TikTok Shop UK as a market for US brands

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TikTok's ecommerce growth isn't limited to one region. In Europe and Asia, skincare, supplements and fashion are selling fast through TikTok Shop. Early sellers there are benefiting from local creators and tightly targeted video.

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Since TikTok Shop launched in the UK, about 50% of the UK's TikTok users reportedly buy through the app.

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In the beauty category, the same OpenBorder analysis shows UK stores are driving 30% of US store revenue on average. The TikTok Shop UK makeup leaders in the chart below are local players that built that position in a very short time.

Challenges of launching your brand on TikTok Shop UK

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Account and store setup

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Opening your own TikTok Shop account in the UK takes more than duplicating your US store. For a direct account, you'll need to:

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• Register a UK business entity: secure a UK business license, which includes registering your company, getting a business address and opening a local bank account.
• Understand VAT and tax obligations: learn the UK tax rules, including VAT registration and compliance, and set up systems to manage them.
• Make sure your products are compliant for import into the UK: depending on your category, account for label claims, ingredient review, product registration and responsible party designations.
• Meet TikTok's business verification requirements: submit documents such as company registration certificates, proof of address and tax information. You'll also need a local employee in the UK to complete this process.
• Adjust store localization: change your store's content, pricing and shipping options to fit UK preferences and regulations.

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Fulfillment and logistics

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Fulfillment gets harder once stock has to cross an ocean. International carriers may not meet UK shoppers' expectations for fast delivery, and returns processed from abroad can cost more and take longer to refund.

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The two fulfillment routes both use stock that's already in the UK:

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1. TikTok's own warehouses in the UK
2. An existing UK warehouse or 3PL that's integrated with TikTok

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Marketing and customer acquisition

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On TikTok, campaigns convert when they run through UK creators with a real following, because user-generated content is what shoppers use to decide whether to buy.

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Gymshark, the UK gym clothing brand, managed to break into the US market and has excelled on TikTok, with over 4.2 million followers and 65.7 million likes. Its TikTok strategy centers on user-generated content (UGC), and the hashtag #gymshark has reached over 8 billion views.

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In 2018, Gymshark launched the 66 Days to Change Your Life challenge. Participants set personal goals and shared photos or videos at the start, then posted updates after 66 days for a chance to win a year's supply of Gymshark products.

Time and resource commitment

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Run in-house, a TikTok Shop UK launch puts UK compliance and fulfillment on the same team that runs your US store, which leaves less time for growth work.

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Selling on TikTok Shop UK from the US without a UK entity

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A US brand doesn't have to open a UK company to sell on TikTok Shop UK. Selling there requires a registered merchant of record (MoR), and that can be a third party. OpenBorder is an approved third-party MoR for TikTok Shop UK, so you don't need the UK company, VAT registration or local employee from the list above. You list your products under our entity, and we handle the legal seller side.

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Our international marketplaces page covers TikTok Shop alongside Amazon FBA.

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Step-by-step guide to setting up your own TikTok Shop UK account

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These steps are for a direct account, opened under your own UK company.

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1. Prepare your documents

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Before you begin, gather the following:

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• Certificate of Incorporation (for businesses)
• Passport or driver's license (for ID verification)

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You'll need both during registration.

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2. Access TikTok Shop

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• Go to Google and search for "TikTok Shop".
• Click the link to the TikTok Seller Center.
• Select your region from the options in the screenshot below.

3. Log in and verify your account

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Once your business is verified, go to the TikTok Shop Seller Center to create your seller account. The Seller Center is your control panel for product listings and orders, and for tracking store performance.

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• Log in to the Seller Center with your TikTok account.

• Make sure you're logged in with the correct account (especially if you manage several).
• You'll receive a verification code by email or SMS. Enter the code to continue.

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4. Choose your business type

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• Select your business type:

• Individual for sole traders.
• Corporation for registered businesses.
• Upload your Certificate of Incorporation (if applicable) and confirm your details are correct.

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5. Complete ID verification

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• For ID verification, upload a valid passport or driver's license.
• Once your documents are uploaded, TikTok processes your verification.

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6. Set up your TikTok Shop profile

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• Choose a TikTok username for your shop (an existing one or a new one).
• Fill in the remaining details, including your business address and payment information.

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7. Set up payment information

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• Go to the Finance page in the TikTok Seller Center.
• Connect your bank account so payouts reach you.
• TikTok may take some time to verify your payment information, but you can carry on with other steps while you wait.

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8. Add products to your shop

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You can start adding products while your account verification is pending.

• Upload manually by clicking the Upload Manually button.

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Provide the following details:

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• Product name
• Category (choose from the available options)
• Product images (recommended dimensions: 300x300 pixels, max file size: 5MB)
• Product videos (optional, but recommended for demonstrating your product)
• Product description
• Price and shipping information

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• You can save your product listing as a draft or submit it for review.

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9. Set up shipping and return information

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• Set up your shipping address (or your business address) for product deliveries.
• Make sure the return address is added correctly for handling returns.

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10. Boost sales with TikTok's affiliate program

Consider joining TikTok's Affiliate Marketing Program. Creators on TikTok promote your products and earn commission on what they sell, which raises your visibility.

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Affiliate collaborations and commissions

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You can sell your products directly or send free samples to creators who make videos featuring them.

Collaborations are either open or targeted:

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Open collaborations: you list your products and set the quantity and commission rate.

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Targeted collaborations: to work with specific creators, you can set higher commission rates to encourage more video content. Typically, commissions are around 10% for open collaborations and can go up to 30% for targeted ones.

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The Find a Creator feature matches you with creators based on their sales and engagement metrics, so you can judge fit from past performance.

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Sample Requests let creators ask for samples of your products, so they can make content without upfront costs to you. You can track which products went out and what content is in progress.

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Pro tip: Use this Google Sheet to track your progress

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Once your store is live, A/B test content types and pricing, and use TikTok's analytics dashboard to see which versions your audience responds to.

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Best practices for TikTok Shop UK once you're set up

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Shoppable videos

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The simplest start is a video with the product link attached. Viewers can buy from the video itself, which makes the sales funnel almost instant.

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Going live

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Live shopping is still catching on in the US but is big in other markets. You can demonstrate products in real time, answer your audience directly and pin products for immediate purchase during the session.

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Shop tab

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The Shop tab is where users browse and discover new products. Make sure your product is listed there with an optimized title, and consider ads to raise its visibility.

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Pro tip: you can also create deals and flash sales that appear in TikTok's "Deals" tab, in front of users who are already looking for discounts.

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Balance content and ads

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You can post videos daily, but use TikTok's affiliate system as well, because good affiliates create content that sells. When an affiliate or user-generated video does well, use a Spark Code to get ad rights and run ads behind it, so proven content reaches more of the viewers who convert.

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Benefits of early access to TikTok Shop UK

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TikTok is incentivizing spending to seed TikTok Shop, with low CPMs and significant exposure potential for early sellers. Supplements and skincare have already proven profitable on TikTok Shop, and so has jewelry.

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TikTok Shop may not match Amazon as a sales driver. TikTok is still building credibility as an advertising platform through a select set of leading US brands, and that leaves room for CPM arbitrage and for a US brand to become a category leader in the UK.

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Launch TikTok Shop UK with OpenBorder

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TikTok Shop UK: frequently asked questions

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Do I need a UK company to sell on TikTok Shop UK?

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For a direct account, yes: you need a registered UK business with a business address and a local bank account, and TikTok's business verification also needs a local employee in the UK. If OpenBorder is your merchant of record, you sell on TikTok Shop UK without forming a UK company of your own.

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Should I ship TikTok Shop UK orders from a US warehouse?

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No, keep the stock in the UK, either in TikTok's own UK warehouses or with a UK warehouse or 3PL that's integrated with TikTok. Orders shipped from the US depend on international carriers that may be slower than UK shoppers expect, and handling returns from the US can raise your costs and slow down refunds.