TikTok Shop is rapidly expanding into Europe while facing existential uncertainty in the United States. The platform is now hiring for nearly 100 TikTok Shop-specific roles across Europe, focusing on countries like Germany, France, Spain, and Italy—the same markets Amazon first targeted in its European expansion beyond the UK.
TikTok Shop sold an estimated $9 billion in goods in the U.S. last year. It was banned in January, along with the rest of TikTok, but for less than a day. On January 20th, a 75-day lift on the ban was granted while a potential sale to American owners was explored.
This regulatory rollercoaster—from operational to banned to operational again in less than 48 hours—highlights the precarious position TikTok occupies in its largest Western market. With this looming threat, TikTok’s European push represents both a hedge against U.S. regulatory action and part of a broader global strategy.
The company is aggressively recruiting talent, with over 4,400 open positions globally. More than a quarter of these openings are for TikTok Shop roles, signaling the company’s commitment to its e-commerce ambitions regardless of U.S. challenges. Despite the pending ban, TikTok is still hiring for more than 2,200 positions in North America.
Analysis of TikTok’s hiring patterns relative to its GMV gives insight into its short- to medium-term directives. While Asia accounts for 68% of TikTok Shop’s estimated GMV, it only represents 36% of open roles. North America makes up 27% of GMV but 55% of open positions. Notably, Europe now shows a similarly aggressive pattern of investment relative to current revenue, with 5% of global GMV but 8% of hiring activity.
TikTok Shop is already well-established in the UK with its “Fulfilled by TikTok” (FBT) service—similar to Amazon’s FBA model—handling warehousing and fulfillment for sellers. The platform began inviting sellers in Spain to join in December 2024, though without fulfillment services yet.
Key logistics positions, such as Head of Logistics in Munich and Fulfillment Operations Manager in Madrid, suggest that TikTok is preparing to launch fulfillment capabilities across continental Europe. This would replicate the strategy that powered its rapid U.S. growth, where offering guaranteed delivery times and streamlined returns helped drive adoption.
TikTok Shop’s unique content-first approach to commerce has demonstrated significant power in the U.S. While Amazon, Walmart, and other internet retailers are search-first shopping platforms where most sales happen because shoppers search for specific items, TikTok is fundamentally different. TikTok is content-first, with discovery happening through videos in feeds rather than search queries.
When TikTok first launched shopping in the U.S., it aggressively turned the dial on shopping-related content, flooding feeds with product recommendations.
The European expansion is following a similar blueprint but with a stronger foundation. TikTok has learned valuable lessons from both its successful UK operation and its rapid U.S. scaling. European e-commerce presents different challenges, with varying fulfillment expectations, payment preferences, and regulations across countries. However, the fundamental content-driven commerce model that succeeded elsewhere should translate well.
TikTok Shop represents the evolution of social commerce, something Facebook and Instagram tried and largely abandoned. As it expands across Europe, TikTok Shop will likely continue to reshape how millions of consumers discover and purchase products. The company’s significant hiring efforts across multiple continents show it’s playing the long game, regardless of immediate regulatory headwinds.
