TikTok Shop is the fastest-growing social commerce platform — and recent American politics are visibly shaping what sells, from anti-fascist books to survival tools and protest merch.
The Rise of TikTok Shop
After launching in 2023, TikTok Shop has attracted over 47 million shoppers. Each day, shoppers spend a total of $32 million. Like Temu or Amazon, the shop offers a plethora of items to purchase at low prices and uses TikTok's influencers and creators to promote a product. The creator then gets a small commission. For creators, TikTok Shop offers another income stream, which, amongst real fears of an imminent recession, is a big factor in selling on the platform. Even small creators are making big money on TikTok Shop.
For the average TikTok user, TikTok Shop offers a combination of shopping and entertainment, which many call “shopertainment.” This shopertainment on TikTok Shop follows the same algorithm as TikTok. It will continue recommending products you have viewed or bought in the past, tailoring your TikTok Shop advertisements to you. TikTok also pushes certain products to go viral, ensuring a spike in sales for certain products.
Politically-Driven Shopping Habits
TikTok Shop – and TikTok as a whole – features a heavy Gen Z and Millennial presence. This demographic, especially, is feeling the brunt of American politics, whether it be the aforementioned fear of a recession or other valid fears of discrimination. Political TikToks, especially those offering reading materials and other anti-fascist products, have become very popular on TikTok Shop. For example, the book On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder went viral on TikTok. The book, which interprets modern politics and encourages its audience to resist tyranny at all costs, has been promoted by creators all across the platform. This, along with other books such as The Origins of Totalitarianism, How Fascism Works, and similar titles that reference and interpret the political climate, have gone viral.
TikTok Shop has seen a surge in books categorized under political theory, social commentary, and dystopian fiction. Some trending titles include It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis and Fascism: A Warning by Madeleine Albright, while 1984 and Brave New World are rebounding in popularity.
American Politics: The Cultural Pulse Driving Purchases
Recent political events such as the January 6th insurrection, the overturning of Roe v Wade, and the 2024 election have consumers looking to purchase not only books but other products that help them through dire political events.
Some creators are even going as far as to pronounce the need for survival tools. One influencer hooks her audience in, telling them to imagine that disaster has hit America and they are the only one who didn't get this $10 survival tool. She then shows a device that can start a fire and also has screwdriver heads and a carabiner. With over 25,000 likes, this tool, popular on TikTok Shop, is definitely getting people's attention.
Survivalist and living-off-the-grid books have also become popular. Another creator promotes a book that shows you how to charge your phone without electricity. Those who are preparing for the worst are flocking to products like these.
Political Identity as Aesthetic and Lifestyle
Some TikTok Shop items are showing us how political identities are a core piece of self-expression – from online persona to the clothes someone wears. Protest tees and other forms of political expression through clothing are by no means new ideas. They have become a part of what is popular on TikTok Shop.
One TikTok captioned “ladies need this” shows a women's rights protest before transitioning to a t-shirt sporting a feminist slogan. Other creators are promoting similar merchandise, with one influencer sharing a sweatshirt captioned, “will be wearing this sweatshirt for the next 1,470 days.”
The clothes and merchandise that are popular on TikTok Shop are more than trends — they're pieces of self-expression that marketers and consumers alike need to understand.
The Influencer Marketing Angle
It makes sense that amidst the tumultuous political climate, consumers want to buy items that not only help them understand the world around them, but also foster forms of self-expression in a climate that seems to be putting a damper on it.
Yet, for some, influencers and influencer marketers capitalizing on an unstable political climate can leave a bad taste. Some creators are using their personal experiences with politics and political education to platform important and progressive ideas in addition to the products being marketed. Still, there is debate on creators sharing their personal experiences versus using their platforms to capitalize on political fear and trauma. Authenticity is key, and it's not ethical or wise to capitalize on political turmoil and fear.
