The beauty consumer’s path to purchase has fundamentally changed. Where shoppers once moved deliberately through awareness, consideration and conversion, they now discover, evaluate and buy in a single scroll. This compression of the traditional marketing funnel marks the rise of discovery-led commerce.
The platforms driving this change operate differently from traditional retail, rewarding brands that understand product mix, creator partnerships and cross-channel measurement. Success hinges on positioning products that inspire compelling creator narratives that convert viewers into buyers.
The inaugural playbook from BoF, The New Beauty Discovery Journey on TikTok Shop — created in partnership with the platform — examines how beauty brands can capitalise on this shift through creator-led commerce strategies, driving both direct sales and cross-channel demand.
“Traditional e-commerce journeys tend to be linear because they are driven by knowing what you want, searching for it, adding to cart and purchasing,” says Ajay Salpekar, general manager of beauty at TikTok Shop. “It works well if you know what you’re looking for. It doesn’t work as well for discovery, inspiration or trial.”
The numbers underscore the platform’s commercial impact. TikTok Shop generated over $500 million in US sales during the four-day Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend alone, with health and beauty accounting for nearly 80 percent of platform sales. Shoppers on the platform now spend an average of $120 per year on beauty products on TikTok Shop — a 68 percent year-on-year increase.
Phlur chief executive Elizabeth Ashmun describes the platform as both a marketing and commerce channel, sharing how Phlur uses it “to drive awareness and storytelling that we know will halo into our other channels”. Meanwhile, Medicube chief executive Kim Byung Hoon positions TikTok Shop as a “virtual demonstration counter” for treatment-led skincare and devices.
Whether a beauty brand is scaling an established TikTok Shop presence or preparing to launch for the first time, this BoF playbook shows beauty brands how to:
• Define TikTok Shop’s role within a discovery-commerce strategy
• Design and execute TikTok Shop strategies, informed by insights from TikTok Shop, indie fragrance brand Phlur and K-beauty brand Medicube
• Engage creators as commerce partners, with best practices from content creator and founder Mikayla Nogueira
• Understand what drives performance in practice, through proven brand- and product-level case studies
This is a sponsored feature paid for by TikTok Shop as part of a BoF partnership.
