Forbes: How TikTok Shop is Reshaping Customer Acquisition Strategies
TikTok Shop is changing retail customer acquisition logic through an affiliate marketing model, allowing brands to pay commissions based only on actual sales without the need to prepay for advertising, making this results-based customer acquisition method one of the fastest-growing channels in U.S. retail.
What are the key facts?
- 1TikTok Shop U.S. GMV grew 108% in 2025
- 2Affiliate marketing commissions typically range from 15%-25%
- 3Results-based customer acquisition model
What happened?
The business mechanism of TikTok Shop is reshaping customer acquisition strategies. Brands send samples to creators and only pay commissions of 15%-25% after actual sales are made. This model eliminates upfront media purchasing costs, allowing brands to select efficient creators based on conversion data. In 2025, TikTok Shop's U.S. GMV grew by 108%, with over 475,000 sellers.
What does this mean for cross-border sellers?
Sellers should establish an efficient affiliate marketing team to fine-tune creator partnerships and leverage low-cost customer acquisition models to improve ROI.