TikTok reshapes the future of UK beauty retail

Not long ago, purchasing a new Clarins face cream or MAC mascara was synonymous with a trip to the high street. Beauty shopping revolved around physical retail spaces, where customers could test products, consult in-store advisers, and make impulse purchases. Today, the journey increasingly begins with a social media scroll.

The British beauty market, worth over £30 billion, is undergoing a seismic shift as TikTok establishes itself as the fourth-largest beauty retailer in the UK, trailing only Amazon, Boots, and LookFantastic. According to NielsenIQ, one beauty item is sold every second on TikTok Shop UK. The platform, previously just a hub for entertainment, has emerged as a key player in e-commerce, radically transforming how beauty brands bring products to market and connect with consumers.

High-profile brands such as Estée Lauder, which owns Clinique, Bobbi Brown, and Aveda, are adapting their business models to align with the cultural and generational shifts spearheaded by TikTok. The company is committed to tripling its new product launches to remain competitive in an industry where consumer engagement is increasingly digital-first and social-native. Estée Lauder’s leadership highlights the importance of appealing to Generation Z, Generation Alpha, and Millennial customers, who will comprise over 30 per cent of the global luxury market by 2030.

Social commerce has proven particularly lucrative within the beauty sector. A Retail Economics report revealed that approximately 40 per cent of UK social media users have purchased beauty products through platforms like TikTok, a figure higher than for any other industry. TikTok’s format, described as “discovery commerce,” allows users to stumble upon new products through short videos, live demonstrations, and shoppable content. Over 6,000 live shopping sessions occur daily in the UK, with beauty consistently ranking as the fastest-growing product category.

This model delivers impressive results for brands. P.Louise, a British make-up company, earned £1.5 million in just 12 hours during a single TikTok Live session. Similarly, Made by Mitchell went from £20 sales per live event to £1 million in daily revenue. TikTok’s algorithm also democratises visibility, allowing niche and emerging brands to gain traction with minimal marketing budgets. For instance, Hair Syrup and Mallows Beauty initially gained popularity online but are now stocked by established retailers such as Boots and Superdrug.

Traditional beauty giants are not exempt from TikTok’s massive influence. Brands such as Clinique have begun leveraging platforms like TikTok Shop and Amazon to stay relevant. Millie Kendall, CEO of the British Beauty Council, noted that TikTok provides smaller, founder-led brands with significant opportunities to share their stories and reach diverse audiences.

Social commerce continues to expand at a staggering rate. While the UK’s beauty market is expected to grow by three per cent after inflation by 2025, social commerce, worth £7.4 billion in 2024, is forecast to double to £15.7 billion by 2028. TikTok’s hold on the beauty industry tightens as more than 80 per cent of its users admit that its content directly influences their product choices. Nearly 90 per cent of viewers say new beauty trends are continuously introduced to them via the platform.

As TikTok evolves from a simple entertainment outlet into a dominant force in British e-commerce, it compels brands—whether emerging or established—to rethink traditional retail strategies. TikTok’s role as a “shop window” in the UK beauty industry is poised to redefine how products are introduced, marketed, and sold for years to come.