PartnerCentric’s new research, surveying 1,002 Americans aged 18-60, reveals that 37% of TikTok users have purchased at least one item through TikTok Shop in the past six months.
These shoppers spend an average of $59 per purchase and make approximately 12 purchases annually, totaling $708 per year on the platform.
Product Categories and Consumer Motivations
Clothing and accessories lead TikTok Shop purchases at 46%, followed by beauty items (43%), home items (40%), health and cosmetics (33%), and technology (27%).
Image credit: PartnerCentric
The research identifies three primary motivations for consumers using TikTok Shop: ease of in-app purchasing (48%), low prices (45%), and product variety (42%).
The path to purchase shows equal distribution between two discovery methods, with 25% of users finding items while browsing on TikTok Shop and another 25% purchasing products featured in TikTok ads.
Influencer Impact and Trust Factors
The study highlights influencer impact on purchase decisions, with 48% of users acknowledging they make purchases directly after seeing influencer posts. Before purchasing, 63% of consumers check reviews or comments.
Image credit: PartnerCentric
Creator recommendations carry varying levels of trust depending on content type. Product recommendations rank highest at 50%, followed by discount codes (47%), DIY/home hacks (31%), product dupes (26%), and health advice (23%).
Americans spend an average of $85 on products suggested by their most trusted influencers.
Consumer Regrets and Concerns
The research identifies purchase regret among 23% of TikTok Shop users for at least one transaction.
Poor quality products represent the top disappointment at 17%, with items not matching pictures (6%) and slow delivery (5%) as secondary concerns.
Trust remains an issue for 47% of non-users who report hesitation about spending money on the platform.
Generational Usage Patterns
Gen Z demonstrates the highest engagement with TikTok, with 95% using the platform and 89% checking it multiple times daily.
TikTok Shop usage shows clear generational differences: 61% of Gen Z, 40% of Millennials, and 20% of Gen X report making purchases through the service.
The buying journey for Gen Z reveals that 77% have purchased items discovered on TikTok, with 67% buying directly through TikTok Shop, while 18% screenshot items to purchase elsewhere.
The average Gen Z purchase amounts to $46, with nearly one-third buying through influencer links.
Platform Perceptions
Following regulatory discussions about potential TikTok restrictions in the U.S., 99% of users report awareness of the so-called “ban effect,” with 41% noting platform changes since regulatory scrutiny began.
Users identify several perceived changes: less free speech (33%), more filtered content (33%), increased U.S.-focused content (30%), stronger content moderation (23%), and decreased content overall (17%).
Ad presence on the platform appears to be increasing, with 76% of Gen Z users reporting more advertisements than a year ago and 55% noticing more “like-app” selling of products, often associated with dropshipping business models.
Cecilia Carloni, Interview Manager at Influence Weekly and writer for NetInfluencer. Coming from beautiful Argentina, Ceci has spent years chatting with big names in the influencer world, making friends and learning insider info along the way. When she’s not deep in interviews or writing, she's enjoying life with her two daughters. Ceci’s stories give a peek behind the curtain of influencer life, sharing the real and interesting tales from her many conversations with movers and shakers in the space.
PartnerCentric’s new research, surveying 1,002 Americans aged 18-60, reveals that 37% of TikTok users have purchased at least one item through TikTok Shop in the past six months.
These shoppers spend an average of $59 per purchase and make approximately 12 purchases annually, totaling $708 per year on the platform.
Product Categories and Consumer Motivations
Clothing and accessories lead TikTok Shop purchases at 46%, followed by beauty items (43%), home items (40%), health and cosmetics (33%), and technology (27%).
Image credit: PartnerCentric
The research identifies three primary motivations for consumers using TikTok Shop: ease of in-app purchasing (48%), low prices (45%), and product variety (42%).
The path to purchase shows equal distribution between two discovery methods, with 25% of users finding items while browsing on TikTok Shop and another 25% purchasing products featured in TikTok ads.
Influencer Impact and Trust Factors
The study highlights influencer impact on purchase decisions, with 48% of users acknowledging they make purchases directly after seeing influencer posts. Before purchasing, 63% of consumers check reviews or comments.
Image credit: PartnerCentric
Creator recommendations carry varying levels of trust depending on content type. Product recommendations rank highest at 50%, followed by discount codes (47%), DIY/home hacks (31%), product dupes (26%), and health advice (23%).
Americans spend an average of $85 on products suggested by their most trusted influencers.
Consumer Regrets and Concerns
The research identifies purchase regret among 23% of TikTok Shop users for at least one transaction.
Poor quality products represent the top disappointment at 17%, with items not matching pictures (6%) and slow delivery (5%) as secondary concerns.
Trust remains an issue for 47% of non-users who report hesitation about spending money on the platform.
Generational Usage Patterns
Gen Z demonstrates the highest engagement with TikTok, with 95% using the platform and 89% checking it multiple times daily.
TikTok Shop usage shows clear generational differences: 61% of Gen Z, 40% of Millennials, and 20% of Gen X report making purchases through the service.
The buying journey for Gen Z reveals that 77% have purchased items discovered on TikTok, with 67% buying directly through TikTok Shop, while 18% screenshot items to purchase elsewhere.
The average Gen Z purchase amounts to $46, with nearly one-third buying through influencer links.
Platform Perceptions
Following regulatory discussions about potential TikTok restrictions in the U.S., 99% of users report awareness of the so-called “ban effect,” with 41% noting platform changes since regulatory scrutiny began.
Users identify several perceived changes: less free speech (33%), more filtered content (33%), increased U.S.-focused content (30%), stronger content moderation (23%), and decreased content overall (17%).
Ad presence on the platform appears to be increasing, with 76% of Gen Z users reporting more advertisements than a year ago and 55% noticing more “like-app” selling of products, often associated with dropshipping business models.
The full research is available here.