A Gen Z version of QVC? Inside TikTok’s push to become a watch-and-shop destination
It is just past 10 p.m. and Aaliyah Arnold, the 20-year-old founder of BossUp Cosmetics, is selling to the TikTok universe. A look at how Arnold’s recent TikTok Live shopping event appeared on viewers’ mobile screens around the world. When they told me, “Can you do Live for 12 hours?” I was like, “You guys are sick, no.” — Magdalena Peña, founder of beauty and hair-care brand Simply Mandys TikTok Lives have become a pillar of brands’ sales strategies for the holiday season, and cheerfully chaotic livestreams are being held around the clock. “The better you follow the rules,” she said, “the more TikTok helps you.” Magdalena Peña, the founder of beauty and hair-care company Simply Mandys, during a TikTok Live last month. Simply Mandys’ revenue this year through November was already quadruple what it was in 2023 — a jump Peña credits to her Live events on TikTok, which she called a “total game-changer.” She said she is still adjusting to the frequent travel and the long days of filming, finding motivation in the adrenaline rush that comes when she sees the sales figures climb during her Lives.
Discover Related
Trump confident in TikTok sale as US ban deadline approaches
Amazon’s last-minute bid for TikTok comes as a US ban on the platform is set to take effect Saturday
The Founder of OnlyFans Wants to Buy TikTok
Amazon bids to buy TikTok as deadline looms, New York Times reports
U.S. President Donald Trump says TikTok sale deal to come before April 5 deadline
Donald Trump hints at tariff concessions if China agrees TikTok deal
TikTok Becomes Tool Of Choice In Cat-And-Mouse Between Migrant Smugglers And Authorities
TikTok sale in progress? Vice President JD Vance expects US deal by April
Trump says US in talks with four groups over TikTok sale: All options good
TikTok parent ByteDance valuation rises in latest share buyback, sources say
Instagram May Launch Separate App for Reels: Report
TikTok returns to US stores as rival Xiaohongshu sees 91% drop in downloads