Tikok is still facing challenges with his shopping boost

Tikok's plan to turn into a global e-commerce power package is still facing challenges, whereby the in-stream shopping opportunities of the platform now have difficulty getting a significant property in Indonesia where Tikok had a higher level of shopping.

Last year Tiktok acquired the local online individual trade provider Tokopedia to comply with compliance Local regulations that limit social media companies to the operation of E -Commerce platforms. The idea was that this Tikkok would make it possible to adapt both with its legal requirements and at the same time to call up the success of Tokopedia. The shopping app has established itself as an important online trade instrument in the region.

However, reports indicate that it did not play as Tiktok was hoping.

According to Rest of World, Tikopedia seller has urged to make TikTok-like content, which differs from the static product recordings that could add to Tokopedia. Seller have also reported lower visits on site as well as higher fees and advertising costsWhich has caused many of them to switch to other trading platforms instead.

Instead of building TikKs online shopping presence, it has apparently backed up a step. This would be a particularly difficult pill to swallow for Tikkok because it paid $ 840 million for Tokopedia, and Tiktok had gained traction with its sales options in the stream in Southeast Asian markets.

However, it has not seen the same success in western regions in which consumers continue to keep their purchasing activities separated from their social and/or entertainment apps.

For any reason, Western users have not shown the same preference as Chinese digital consumers in order to pack as many functions as possible in a single app, which can be seen, as platforms like Wechat and Tiktok become main money earners in the Chinese local market.

And now Tikk's spurt is also in other regions, and it will be interesting to see whether Tikoktok wants to shift the focus on his advertising business instead if it cannot achieve a real traction for its online shopping options.

But on the other hand, the shopping of Tikkok increases steadily, just not as quickly as Tiktok wants.

TIKTOK reported last month:

“Last year, our seller community expanded into more than 750 categories and brought buyers an incredible selection of over 70 million products. So far, our growing community of buyers, sellers and creators has beaten an impressive dynamic on the TIKTOK shop platform in 2025. In the USA Shop Tikok Shop Sales have increased by 120% Compared to the same period of last year. “

So buying Tiktok is on the rise, but it is far from the immediate success that the company has seen with its shops in China.

In fact, shopping is now the top sources of income for Douyin, the Chinese version of the app, whereby Douyin brings in US 490 billion US dollars of gross goods (GMV) In 2024 alone. For comparison: Tikok has reportedly generated around 33 billion US dollars in GMV in all other markets.

The numbers underline the potential, but also the challenge that Tikkok has been driving its shopping options for four years and that they have not won the same speed as in the Chinese market.

But it may still be an area of opportunities. And while Tikok is suspended in some regions before the setback, it is likely that it will continue to pass on with its purchasing options to use the same potential in more regions.

There are challenges, but there are apparently enough growth to keep Tikok on making this a thing that is worth mentioning for online sellers.