TikTok Shop has today announced the launch of Shop Local, a support scheme to help British small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) harvest demand for homegrown goods by using the platform to reach new audiences.
Fronted by farmer and conservationist Jimmy Doherty, the scheme will help British businesses producing local products find new customers and create new sales opportunities by utilising TikTok Shop’s unique ‘discovery commerce’ model – where shoppers discover and buy products organically through engaging videos, live streams and creators without leaving the app.
The launch comes in response to research commissioned by TikTok Shop which reveals huge demand for British goods. 83% of people say they would be more likely to buy British produce if it was more widely available, and three in four (75%) say they prefer locally sourced products over imports.
Yet despite this appetite, many SMBs are struggling to keep pace. More than half (52%) say running a business is harder today than a year ago, with nearly a third (29%) citing difficulty attracting new customers as their biggest challenge.
TikTok Shop is already a powerful sales channel in the UK, with over 200,000 SMBs selling through the platform and more than 6,000 Shop Lives hosted daily. With demand for local products rising, TikTok Shop is investing further to help British businesses unlock growth. For SMBs, TikTok Shop provides a way to reach new customers nationwide – without the need for big budgets or large numbers of followers on TikTok. And for small businesses with high-quality British products, the For You Feed can be the ultimate shop window to go viral and drive sales.
Doherty, co-host of Jamie & Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast, will work alongside TikTok Shop to select five local British businesses who will each receive a dedicated support package worth over £150,000, including:
- Hands-on guidance from TikTok Shop experts to get started on the platform
- Mentorship for staff members on how to grow sales on TiKTok Shop
- Training on how to sell through TikTok Shop LIVE
- Subsidised marketing support to help promote their products
- Featured promotion across TikTok Shop to reach more customers
- Introductions to TikTok creators and help with getting orders to customers
- PR and marketing support from TikTok to promote their business off-platform
Jimmy’s Farm Shop is now live on TikTok Shop (@jimmysfarmhq)) receiving support from the platform and reaching new audiences ahead of the key Christmas trading period.
For SMBs, reaching wider audiences via online platforms is essential, with 84% saying it’s critical to their survival. Nearly seven in ten (67%) would consider using TikTok Shop to support their sales during the upcoming seasonal trading period¹.
Jimmy Doherty, of Jimmy’s Farm said: “The Shop Local scheme is an incredible opportunity for small British businesses to take that next step into online sales with the support of TikTok Shop. For us at Jimmy’s Farm, it’s particularly exciting — our products are usually only available to buy here on the farm, so this marks our first real step into online selling.”
The five chosen SMBs will follow in the footsteps of existing TikTok Shop businesses like The Fat Butcher [meat seller], The Chuckling Cheese Company [snacks, dairy], Dough Girl [bakery and sweet desserts] and The Veg Box Company [veg seller] – and the wide variety of other small companies throughout the UK using TikTok Shop to sell to thousands of customers, with eight in 10 based outside of London.
Jan Wilk, head of TikTok Shop UK, said: “We know that the current economic climate can be challenging for small British businesses, with many experiencing a mixed financial picture. But unlike other digital shopping platforms, TikTok Shop is based on discovery commerce.
‘Smaller businesses don’t need huge followings or big budgets to be seen – if you have a great British product, the For You Feed is your place to shine and find viral success, with your products and businesses able to be discovered by millions. It can be a lifeline to some – and we think the Shop Local scheme, with the support of Jimmy and Jimmy’s Farm, will help our British businesses find great success on TikTok Shop.”
British businesses that focus on selling locally produced goods of all types are eligible to apply to the scheme. Whether they are a bakery, fishmonger or farmer – as long as they sell British goods, aren’t currently trading on TikTok Shop and have less than 250 employees, they are eligible.
To enter, they simply need to create and share a TikTok video demonstrating their offering to their local community, which includes the #ShopLocalComp hashtag and tagging @TikTokShop_UK, between Tuesday, 14 October and Thursday, 13 November. Winners will be selected and contacted by 12 December for participation.
According to NielsenIQ, TikTok Shop was the fastest growing online retailer in 2024, with a 131% annual increase in the number of shoppers on TikTok Shop and a 180% year-on-year rise in revenue at the end of last year.
