Marks and Spencer has launched on TikTok Shop as a pilot, positioning it as a way to make products instantly shoppable and help customers discover and shop in new ways. Separate reporting suggests other major UK retailers have also leaned into TikTok Shop during the festive season, using branded hubs, viral moments, and livestream tactics to drive sales.

In my opinion, the loyalty lesson is that discovery is shifting from search to entertainment, and brands are being forced to earn attention before they earn baskets. TikTok Shop blends content, creator influence, and checkout in one place, which creates a faster path from impulse to purchase. That is powerful for acquisition.

But it is not automatically good for retention. Customers acquired through impulse channels can churn quickly if the product does not match the promise. The brands that will win long term are the ones that use TikTok Shop for discovery, then pull customers into repeat mechanisms, like email, membership perks, replenishment, and customer care that actually responds.

Live shopping also pushes brands to behave more like media companies. If you cannot create a narrative around your product in real time, you lose. That can be uncomfortable for traditional retailers, but it is also a moat. Brands that master this format will build community and community is the stickiest form of loyalty.