TikTok Shop broadens pet commerce reach

Seven in 10 global shoppers buy on social media, and 71% say it could become their primary shopping channel by 2030, according to the logistics company DHL, which conducted a survey in February and March 2025 among 24,000 consumers worldwide. 

TikTok Shop is growing in popularity, with one in three shoppers using it – a figure that increases to half among Gen Z. 

A pathway to discovery

Meanwhile, according to research commissioned by TikTok Shop and conducted by GlobalData in May 2026, 66% of US TikTok Shop users discovered a new brand on the platform, and nearly 90% of those who made such a discovery bought something within a month.

TikTok pushes further into Europe

In June 2026, TikTok Shop launched in Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Austria, expanding its European footprint to 10 markets at the time. 

The platform has since expanded further and is now available in 13 European markets, including Portugal, Hungary, Czech Republic and Greece, creating new opportunities for brands and retailers to reach consumers through social commerce.

Carine Moitier, founder of services provider Cross-Border Commerce Europe, describes the expansion as “a clear signal that social commerce is accelerating across Europe, moving beyond the largest markets”. 

European penetration

In the UK, there are currently around 27,000 active pet listings in TikTok Shop, according to Remy Beaumont, CEO of the TikTok Shop agency Z Media Group, as more players experiment with the platform. As an example, last year the British retailer Just for Pets introduced shop livestreams with exclusive discounts and flash sales in the app.

In Germany, where the functionality only launched in March 2025, there are over 1,300 active pet listings, “which is a serious volume of brand activity for a market that’s barely 18 months old”, Beaumont points out.

TikTok Shop has become Germany’s 15th-largest retailer in less than a year, according to e-commerce technology company ChannelEngine.

Worldwide expansion

Beyond Europe, the company is investing in initiatives to strengthen its commercial side in Latin America and Africa. 

In April, TikTok and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) launched the Digital Commerce Labs to assist small businesses with digital tools “to increase revenue opportunities and expand market access” in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Thailand.

The development comes as TikTok Shop continues to gain traction in key markets. In Brazil, TikTok reported a more than 100-fold increase in daily average gross merchandise value (GMV) during its first year, alongside strong growth in its affiliate creator base, which expanded more than 45-fold.

Pet companies profit

Fei Luo, Chairman and CEO of H&H Group, owner of the Zesty Paws pet supplement brand, told investors a few months ago that TikTok would become a meaningful sales channel for the company, albeit with financial impact.

“Our Zesty Paws’ EBITDA [earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization] in North America decreased. It’s because we invested in the TikTok channel,” he said. 

The supplement brand is active on the platform across the Americas, Southeast Asia and Europe with organic content and creator seeding, with the full TikTok Shop commerce functionality available in the US and the UK. 

“Pet content is one of the highest performing organic categories on TikTok,” Akash Bedi, Rotating Group CEO and CEO, North America and Europe at H&H Group, tells GlobalPETS. “The content and the highly engaged audience already exist in abundance. What gave us real conviction was TikTok’s exceptionally low friction between entertainment and commerce.”

The company is targeting both brand awareness and immediate purchases and believes TikTok Shop is an effective way to pursue these goals simultaneously. But it is also relying on the social media’s ability to “create demand” to publicize its supplements, a category that seems “significantly underpenetrated”.

“That said, off-platform channels such as Amazon, our own DTC site and traditional retail still make up the majority of our overall revenue. TikTok Shop is not replacing them. Instead, it complements,” Bedi states.

According to Beaumont, the company’s proprietary data show that for every two sales it makes on TikTok Shop, it generates roughly one additional sale on Amazon and one on a DTC channel. “The true revenue impact is closer to two times what the platform actually reports,” he says.

Solution-based content

The content that converts best for Zesty Paws follows a clear problem-to-solution structure, Bedi explains: “It starts with a visual hook or real-life situation that pet parents immediately recognize, such as joint issues, itchy skin or low energy, and then shows the solution with before and after transformations or honest testimonials.”

According to him, this format works well because pet supplements are still a relatively new category for many owners.

Z Media has observed a similar pattern. According to Beaumont, toys and enrichment, snacks and treats, and small problem-solution accessories are the top three category performers on the platform.

He cites one example from November 2025 when a self-cleaning cat litter box brand sent gifts to 2,000 small creators, which generated more than 8,000 shoppable live videos at once. The result of this seeding strategy was a revenue of around $7 million in TikTok Shop sales in one month, he says.

Move into premium pet care

US-based Whisker, maker of self-cleaning cat litter box Litter-Robot, launched its TikTok Shop storefront. The company plans to build on its TikTok Shop presence through “creator partnerships, affiliate content, livestream shopping experiences and platform-native content designed to educate consumers researching premium cat care products”. 

Whisker CMO Hew Loyd explains why the company believes TikTok Shop will work for its products: “People don’t buy a Litter-Robot on impulse – it’s a considered decision. They spend time watching demonstrations, comparing experiences, and hearing from other cat parents before deciding it’s right for them.”

Viral moments vs lasting impact

The other way around also works, and TikTok virals can drive sales in physical retail. US-based manufacturer Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming worked on a limited-edition treat collection designed in partnership with three dog influencers. 

On the other hand, repeat-purchase items, food and nutrition and some accessories do not perform so well. “Anything that requires changing a routine or trusting the platform with your pet’s health takes longer to convert,” explains Remy Beaumont, CEO of the TikTok Shop agency Z Media Group.