TikTok’s future remains murky as the US Supreme Court considers whether to uphold a law that could ban the social media app over national security concerns starting Sunday. But there’s another element that’s in the works: The TikTok Store.
Officially launched in the US in 2023, TikTok Shop is the platform’s e-commerce feature, allowing users to buy and sell products and services directly through the platform.
Retailers dependent on sales through TikTok are worried about the economic impact, while consumers fear for the status of their delivery if the app goes dark.
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In its launch year, TikTok Shop quickly became the fourth most popular social e-commerce platform in the US, with 8.2% of online shoppers using it, according to Capital One Shopping Research. The same report reveals that in the final months of 2023 alone, Americans spent approximately $7 million per day on the app.
Here’s what we know about how the ban will affect the TikTok Store.
Will TikTok Shop go away if TikTok is banned?
The future of the TikTok Shop remains uncertain, and representatives for the social media giant did not immediately respond with comment on how the ban might affect the TikTok Shop when contacted by USA TODAY on Thursday.
What will happen to TikTok Store orders that have already been placed but not delivered?
As for users who have placed orders on the TikTok Shop and are waiting for an order to be processed or an item to be delivered, it is uncertain how the ban may affect these orders as well.
Joseph Rowan, host of the “FAKD Podcast,” which analyzes the economics of the counterfeit business, has advised users who have placed orders through TikTok Shop but have yet to receive their shipments to save any contact information from sellers. If the social media app goes dark on or after Sunday, users may still be able to contact the businesses they ordered from.
How will the TikTok ban affect small business owners?
Aaron Schekorra is the owner of Own Your Pride, an online store that specializes in LGBTQ+ merchandise. He said the TikTok Store accounts for about 40% of Own Your Pride’s sales, and in October 2023 alone, he earned just over $50,000 through the platform.
Schekorra said he predicts TikTok will be around for a long time and won’t be banned, but “every day we get closer to banning, it feels less and less like luck is in my favor.”
The owners of MNJ Sales, an online store specializing in non-slip beanies and duags, shared in a December TikTok video that 80% of the store’s revenue is generated through the TikTok Shop.
“As a small business and a black-owned small business, it’s a very, very difficult time right now,” one of the owners said in the video, which had two million views Thursday.
Bask and Lather Co., another black-owned small business specializing in hair care products, has also spoken out about the ban, informing its followers that it is looking to sell all of its products on the TikTok Shop.
“As a brand that has had a few products go viral here on TikTok, so much of our revenue comes from here and we’re so thankful for everyone and their support over the years,” a moderator of the business account said in a video December. “But if TikTok ends up being banned … things could get really scary here at Bask and Lather.”
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MNJ Sales as Bask and Lather Co. did not immediately respond for comment about the ban when contacted by USA TODAY on Thursday.
What other platforms are targeting sellers and consumers?
In preparation for the possible ban on Sunday, TikTok Store sellers are turning to other e-commerce sites. Schekorra said he has started selling Own Your Pride products on Etsy, which is getting some traction.
Shraysi Tandon, CEO of Kidsy, a re-commerce company that specializes in products for children and babies, said that the company has been using TikTok Shop since November 2024 and about 20% of the company’s revenue is generated from it.
Before the ban, Tandon said Kidsy is exploring other marketing channels like YouTube, Pinterest and Reddit to collectively launch on all three.
Google Shopping, in addition to Facebook and Instagram Stores, are other social e-commerce options, but Tandon said they “don’t drive the same virality, stickiness and engagement that TikTok has.”
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
