Working papers · updated weekly
What sells on TikTok Shop
Research from our analysis of TikTok Shop: where revenue is growing and how it sells, each category in depth, which openings, formats and production choices sell, what is rising and fading, and what the season brings.
Creative7
One creative choice across TikTok Shop: openings, length and pacing, calls to action, audio, AI and more.
Top-selling TikTok Shop videos that prompt comments or show the orange cart sell more per view than those with no call to action
13,304 videos tracked, 3,342 analysed in depth, 29 categories, 2 Sept–1 Oct 2026
Working paperv1 · 1 Oct- 1.08×
- sales per view for orange cart videos (90% range 1.04–1.12), against a market average of 1
- 58%
- of watched-video sales came from videos using the orange cart
Talking to camera sells more per view than trending sounds on TikTok Shop
13,304 videos tracked, 3,342 analysed in depth, 29 categories, 2 Sept–1 Oct 2026
Working paperv1 · 1 Oct- 1.14×
- sales per view for speaking on camera (90% range 1.08–1.19), the highest of the main audio types
- 0.76×
- sales per view for trending sounds (0.70–0.81), despite 13.5% of watched-video sales
A face in the first second is associated with higher sales per view on TikTok Shop
13,304 videos tracked, 3,342 analysed in depth, 2 Sept–1 Oct 2026
Working paperv1 · 1 Oct- 1.05×
- sales per view for videos opening with a face (range 1.01–1.09), versus 0.94× without
- 1.08×
- sales per view when face, text and product all appear in the first second (range 1.02–1.14)
Ads and organic videos sell at similar rates among top TikTok Shop sellers, but the openings that work differ
13,304 videos tracked, 3,342 analysed in depth, 29 categories, 2 Sept–1 Oct 2026
Working paperv1 · 1 Oct- 89.1%
- of sales in the sample came from videos that ran as ads
- 0.995 vs 1.042
- sales per view, ads vs organic (1 = market average); ranges overlap
Creators who show their face early sell at above-average rates on TikTok Shop
13,304 videos tracked, 3,342 analysed in depth, 29 categories, 2 Sept–1 Oct 2026
Working paperv1 · 1 Oct- 1.06×
- sales per view for videos with the creator's face in the first second (90% range 1.02–1.10)
- 0.89×
- sales per view when the creator is not on camera (90% range 0.84–0.93)
Price and bold-claim hooks sell more per view on TikTok Shop, while borrowed openers lag
Our analysis of 3,340 closely watched videos from a sample of 13,309 top-selling TikTok Shop videos across 29 categories, 2 September to 1 October 2026
Working paperv1 · 1 Oct- 1.53×
- Sales per view for price-or-deal hooks vs the market (90% range 1.37–1.71)
- 1.28×
- Sales per view for bold-claim hooks, which carry 16% of watched-video sales
Filmed video carries TikTok Shop sales while fully AI-made video stays rare and unproven
Our analysis of 13,309 top-selling TikTok Shop videos across 29 categories, 3,340 of them watched and coded, 2 September to 1 October 2026
Working paperv1 · 1 Oct- 78%
- Share of watched-video sales from video with no visible AI
- 20%
- Share of sales from video with an AI voice-over, which sells at 0.95× per view