Nivea launches TikTok Shop to tap younger demographic | News

Nivea has launched a TikTok Shop in the UK, allowing users to buy products direct through the social media platform via shoppable videos and live stream content.

The brand claims to be among the first major health and beauty brands to do so in the UK, having seen success with the approach in the APAC region.

“With the rise of online shopping and social media, a new generation of social shoppers is on the rise, and it is vital for our brands to be present on platforms such as TikTok, reaching a key customer base for our products,” said Paul Price, general manager, northern Europe at Nivea brand owner Beiersdorf.

“We want to expand our e-commerce footprint and reach a new, younger demographic in an environment that is engaging, video-first and feels authentic,” he added. “Most importantly, it is an environment that they most frequent.” 

TikTok Shop was launched in the UK in 2021, allowing users to “transition from product discovery to purchase in just seconds” TikTok said. That involves video content posts with embedded ‘buy’ buttons, and the ability to make products shown in live streams instantly shoppable.

Nivea launched its TikTok Shop with an influencer hosted live stream, which focused on its men and women’s skincare range. The “hero product” of the launch was the brand’s serum-Infused Micellar Water, which it released in June this year.

The brand – which attracted more than 1.1 million impressions on the TikTok Shop during launch week alone – is also trialling skincare bundles on the platform “with a focus on a younger demographic”.

Nivea UK has taken its cues from brand teams in the APAC region, which has seen “phenomenal adoption of social commerce”, Price told The Grocer.

“TikTok Shop is more than just a new sales channel, it’s a way to bring our brand to life through short, engaging videos and to connect with our consumers where they love to spend their time,” he added. “You only have to look to markets like Indonesia to realise that the future potential of social commerce is likely to be significant. It is for this reason that we are fully committed to this relatively new channel for e-commerce in Europe.” 

According to a report by Retail Economics, in partnership with TikTok, the social commerce market in the UK is predicted to more than double in the next four years, rising from £7.4bn to almost £16bn by 2028.

“This means that social commerce would become 10% of the total online commerce market, up from 6% today, and growing at four times the rate of overall e-commerce sales,” a spokeswoman for TikTok said. “TikTok users lead the way in social commerce penetration, with 44% having made a purchase directly on TikTok, and one in four purchasing on the platform at least once a month.”

Several fmcg brands are already using TikTok Shop, among them Britvic, Andrex, The Chuckling Cheese Company, Free Soul, Wellgard and Ooh & Aah Cookies. However, it is health and beauty brands (such as L’Oréal, CeraVe, Elf, Bobbi Brown, Color Wow and P.Louise) and fashion brands (Mooslover, Puma, Asos, Sweaty Betty and Adidas), that have dominated to date.