TikTok is no longer simply a platform for short videos and low-cost items. The social media platform, via its in-app marketplace, TikTok Shop, is now making a bold move into luxury retail, offering shoppers high-end fashion, limited-edition sneakers, and premium timepieces.
From Budget Buys to High-End Handbags
Once considered a top destination for cheap finds, TikTok Shop now features handbags valued as high as $11,000 from luxury brands like Hermès and Chanel. Alongside these are luxury watches from brands such as Rolex and Cartier, as well as limited edition sneakers from Louis Vuitton and Nike.
Most of these high-value items are sold by secondhand resellers rather than directly from the boutiques. Since some sellers have been known to peddle knockoff high-end products on the platform, many resellers now use AI-authentication tools to verify the authenticity of their items and build consumer trust.
Entrupy, one of the third-party product authenticators that works with TikTok, sells a phone-mounted device with a microscopic lens that fits over the camera like a smartphone case. Using the device, sellers can then capture images of their items for evaluation by Entrupy.
”It is about adding that layer of trust,” said Vidyuth Srinivasan, Entrupy’s chief executive officer and co-founder, when speaking about how the technology helps prevent counterfeiting on the online marketplace.
TikTok Doubles Down on Luxury Retail
The new move isn’t TikTok’s first foray into luxury resale. In April 2024, TikTok Shop launched a secondhand luxury category in the U.K., partnering with resale platforms such as Luxe Collective, Sellier, Break Archive, and Sign of the Times. The move put the online marketplace directly in competition with established resale platforms like Depop, Poshmark, and Mercari.
Initially launched in the U.S. and later in the U.K., TikTok plans to eventually roll out its pre-owned luxury category across continental Europe.
Why TikTok is Betting Big on Luxury Retail
TikTok’s push into luxury retail is a calculated bet on shifting consumer behavior. According to a 2025 TikTok report conducted via AYTM, 70% of TikTok luxury shoppers reported spending over ￡1,000 (about $1,335 at the time) on a single fashion item.
Additionally, nearly one in four luxury shoppers on TikTok wait for creator reviews before purchasing items, while almost a third discover luxury brands through creator videos.
These statistics demonstrate that TikTok Shop isn’t just a place where luxury shoppers go to discover and purchase products, but also to verify authenticity.
”People want to hear from peers, not just brands,” said Cassandra Russell, GBS at TikTok U.K., in the report published on the TikTok website. ”TikTok has become a place where credibility is built in the comments section, and the path to purchase now runs through creators, conversations and community insight. It’s the spark that luxury brands can’t afford to ignore.”
The Future of Luxury Retail
TikTok is no longer just a social media platform that’s about viral dance videos and budget finds. As luxury shoppers turn to the platform to find genuine products, creator videos, and product reviews, it’s carving out a new niche in luxury e-commerce.
And as Gen Z and Millennials prioritize authenticity, transparency, and identity, this new move may reshape how TikTok users discover, purchase, and sell luxury items.
