5 Predictions for TikTok and Social Commerce in 2026

2025 was the year TikTok Shop went mainstream. UK brands finally understood that the app wasn’t just for awareness — it was a serious revenue channel. Creator affiliates became the new sales reps, Lives became digital storefronts, and “TikTok Made Me Buy It” became a daily reality.

But the story doesn’t stop there. Social commerce is evolving fast, and 2026 will reshape how creators, algorithms and consumers interact. Based on Somerce campaign data, market trends and what’s already happening on Douyin (TikTok’s Chinese counterpart), here are our five bold predictions for what’s next.

1. TikTok Will Become the UK’s #1 Retail Discovery Platform

TikTok already influences over 60% of Gen Z purchase decisions, and in 2026 it will surpass both Instagram and Google for product discovery searches.

TikTok’s internal search volume has grown more than 3× since 2023. Queries like “best hair mask UK” or “London brunch outfits” now return shoppable videos, not blog articles.

What this means:

• Brands will treat TikTok SEO like Google SEO — researching keywords, writing optimised titles and pinning tagged listings.
• “How to” and “best for” content will dominate the feed.
• Paid search budgets will start to shift toward TikTok Shop placement ads.

Somerce advice: Build searchable, evergreen content. Make sure your top-performing posts include natural language keywords in both captions and speech.

2. Live Shopping Will Replace Traditional Product Launches

By late 2026, TikTok Lives will be the default stage for new product drops.
Brands will treat them like global livestream premieres — part entertainment, part ecommerce.

Expect:

• Co-hosted Lives (brand + creator + celebrity cameo)
• Shoppable replays that drive sales for 72 hours post-event
• On-screen polls, spin-to-win games, and AI moderators answering FAQs in real time

Somerce predicts Live commerce in the UK will exceed £1.2 billion GMV annually, following Douyin’s trajectory.

Case insight: P.Louise’s £2 million Live (managed by Somerce) was just the start — by 2026, mid-tier brands will regularly hit six-figure GMV from single Lives.

3. AI Will Power Creative and Attribution

TikTok’s generative AI tools are already rolling out globally — from script writing to auto-cutting ad creatives. In 2026, AI will quietly handle the heavy lifting behind the scenes.

Expect major leaps in:

• Smart creative optimisation – AI will remix your best-performing clips, swap hooks and test versions automatically.
• Predictive attribution – TikTok’s Conversion API 2.0 will use machine learning to estimate total sales impact (even cross-device).
• Voice and virtual hosts – Brands will use AI avatars or virtual presenters for 24/7 Live selling in multiple languages.

Somerce tip: Combine AI tools with human oversight — automation for scale, creators for emotion. The winning formula is “AI-assisted authenticity.”

4. Creators Will Become Retailers

The “creator affiliate” model is evolving into full-fledged creator storefronts.
In China, Douyin hosts already run mini-shops under their own sub-brands — a model TikTok will replicate globally.

Creators won’t just tag products; they’ll own inventory, manage customer service and host recurring Lives under their store name.
This will blur the line between influencer and entrepreneur.

UK outlook:

• Expect a wave of TikTok Shop “creator brands” in beauty, food, and fitness.
• Agencies like Somerce will shift toward managing hybrid talent — creators who sell as well as create.
• Commission rates will rise to 20–30% as competition for top sellers intensifies.

5. Social Commerce Will Move Beyond the Feed

TikTok’s ecosystem is expanding fast — into search, maps, and offline retail integration.
By 2026, TikTok users will be able to:

• Find local stores tagged in videos (powered by TikTok Maps)
• Book in-store appointments directly through TikTok Shop
• Redeem Live-exclusive offers in physical locations

Somerce’s prediction: TikTok will merge online discovery with local conversion, becoming the connective tissue between creators, communities and commerce.

For example, a skincare brand could host a TikTok Live demo from Selfridges and tag the in-store product shelf for immediate pickup. The feed and the shop floor will finally merge.

What This Means for UK Brands

The Somerce View

Somerce has seen first-hand how fast TikTok evolves — from platform to ecosystem.
In 2023, it was entertainment.
In 2024, it became a sales channel.
In 2025, it became infrastructure.

In 2026, TikTok will become the default operating system for social commerce.

Brands that invest now in creator communities, Live infrastructure and attribution pipelines will own the next wave of growth.

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