TikTok Shop Breaks Black Friday Record... but it’s just a tiny fraction of the whole ecosystem.

Black Friday 2024 was massive for e-commerce, U.S. online sales hitting $10.8 billion, a 10.2% jump from last year.

During peak shopping hours, customers spent a jaw-dropping $11.3 million every minute.

Now, let’s talk about TikTok Shop. They broke their own Black Friday record, hitting $130 million in GMV—a huge jump from last year’s $33 million.

Impressive growth? Absolutely. But in the grand scheme of things, it’s just 1.2% of the total U.S. online sales.

But here’s the thing. TikTok Shop is not new to consumers. With over a billion active users, it’s one of the most popular apps in the world.

So why hasn’t TikTok Shop claimed a bigger share of the pie?

Even though TikTok Shop’s success is laser-focused on younger, trend-driven audiences, it is too early to compete with the heavyweights, where you have a better chance of getting what you are looking for, rather than in a place with more limited categories.

TikTok Shop is growing fast, but it’s no substitute for the established platforms where sales volume dominates. Think of TikTok as a way to tap into niche audiences while keeping your eye on the real giants.

And now, we wait for Amazon’s Black Friday numbers—how much of that 98.8% pie will they claim this year?