The way the UK shops has evolved significantly in recent years, with the power of Discovery Commerce shaping the way consumers find, validate and share their favourite products.
TikTok provides a window into the shifting landscape of consumer preferences and can be used by retailers to inform their buying and merchandising strategies, as well as their marketing and advertising.
From fashion staples that prioritise comfort to gadgets designed for seamless living, the latest data uncovers the trends driving purchases, and the deeper values that are shaping today's shopping habits.
We hope you enjoy our inaugural report unlocking the spending trends of UK consumers for H1, 2025.
Paul Mears, Group Vertical Director, Retail
& E-commerce, TikTok UK
Methodology
Check the receipts: the metrics we've used
To understand this report, it's important to note the three data signals we used to craft it.
Search Trends
Search Trends reflects intent (i.e. what consumers are actively looking for on the platform). It provides insight into shifting preferences and emerging consumer demands. We’ve seen 42% growth from Q4 2024-Q1 2025 in searches on platform across categories including beauty & fashion, food & drink, and sport.
Hashtag Growth
Hashtag Growth is based on the volume of video views associated with specific hashtags over time or its cultural clout on platform. The rapid growth of hashtags like #SkinBarrier and #Coachella2025 signals not just consumer interest, but also broader cultural trends that are growing in visibility and influencing shopping habits.
TikTok Shop Order Uplift
Order uplift shows how Discovery Commerce results in direct business impact - people shopping on platform. In the UK, we saw a 131% annual increase in the number of shoppers on TikTok Shop since 2024 and it’s only continuing to grow.
The community, culture and conversation is on TikTok
How ‘The Minecraft Movie’ Became ‘Rocky Horror’ for TikTok Kids 11% #ChickenJockey -
after seeing a baby zombie riding a chicken. This phrase has become a rallying cry for young fans of the movie.
APRIL
#LiloandStitch
525M Video Views
MAY
“Eurovision’s flamboyance and spectacle now lives far beyond the stage. It thrives in 10-second snippets, reaction duets, and algorithmic remix culture. TikTok extends the afterlife of Eurovision performances into everyday feeds.”
-Dr Brittany Ferdinands2
#Eurovision 1.3B Video Views 8.9% Engagement Rate
JUNE
Ordered peaked 3rd June.
Pitbull mania sweeps the UK as his tickets sell out in minutes with people dressing up in bald-caps to see Mr Worldwide in London 420%
Increase in sales for this pack
Many Moods Stitch Toy from ToysToysToys (May-July)
#CowboyCarter
396.9M Video Views
48K Published
Western-style searches soar at Debenhams as Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ tour hits town
style trends almost overnight.3
#UKHeatwave
471M Video Views
Why does heat in the UK feel hotter than abroad? This viral TikTok doctor says...
+276%
JULY
#Wimbledon
206.8M Video Views
#WilbledonQueue 6.7M VV
#WimbledonFashion 996K VV
Wimbledon attracts young fans and goes viral with ‘Tennis-Tok’
#Oasis
618.6M Video Views
Sausage rolls and Oasis: ‘Britishcore’ TikTok trend drives interest in UK culture
What we searched, shopped and shared
Popular fashion searches for H1*
Bianca Censori Grammys Outfit 11
What’s driving curiosity on platform: Fashion FASHION
Sabrina Carpenter yellow dress 44
Kendrick Lamar jeans
A search spike happened post Lamar’s performance at the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show. The flared Celine Flared Surf Jeans in Summer Dazed Wash Denim cost around USD$13,000
Bunny Calvin Klein 22 Cute winter boots 33
Tankini
A women's two-piece swimsuit combining a top half styled like a tank top with a bikini bottom
(MORE ON PAGE 16)
uggs 66
2006 lace cami outfit
It's not just about revisiting the past for generations who weren't around the first time, but about integrating timeless, functional fashion into everyday life, with many consumers seeking styles that are both wearable and accessible in the current economic climate
Y2K is back in full force with Capri pants back and labeled as the “pant of the summer” 10 10
Capri pants
What’s driving curiosity on platform: Beauty
Cynthia Erivo specifically requested micro braids to become her character of Elphaba in the hit movie Wicked. Erivo says they build “a direct connection between me as a Black woman and Elphaba as a green lady1
What’s driving curiosity on platform: Home
AKA a non-reversing mirror, is a mirror that reflects without reversing the left and right sides, as regular mirrors do. This means you see your reflection as others see you in real life
Think organic materials and a soft colour pallette. A Scandinavian kitchen generally has open shelving and a minimalist aesthetic, designed to calm the senses
‘What is a charger plate?’
The TikTok community were curious to learn about the Charger Plate. Not meant for food, a Charger Plate is a base for other plates to protect the table ot tablecloth from spills
What’s driving curiosity on platform: Food
‘What is lumpia?’
A type of spring roll, popular in Filipino and Indonesian cuisines they can be sweet or savoury and are a common appetiser or
Cascatelli pasta
A ruffled pasta shape created by food podcaster Dan Pashman. It's designed for: forkability, sauceability (how well it holds sauce), and toothsinkability (how satisfying it is to bite into)
What’s driving action?
Product focus - Dubai Chocolate
Brand Focus - Glow For It
Beauty brand Glow For It used Spark and In-Feed Ads to showcase eyelash transformations, sell their product and grow their community, in conjunction with a TikTok Shop LIVE strategy designed to deepen community engagement and sales.
The results were astounding, generating in excess of 4 million views and a 48-hour buying frenzy that led to one month’s worth of stock flying off the shelves.
Following their success on TikTok, they are now also stocked at Boots.
75x
Results
4.58x ROAS
TikTok Shop LIVE sold a product every 19 seconds
‘Pistachio’ YoY TikTok search growth
TikTok trend for Dubai chocolate causes international pistachio shortage
Waitrose is limiting this Dubai-style chocolate because the demand is so high
#dubaichocolate 283K posts
@mariavehera257 283m VVs
video
How culture and community accelerate trends
Collectibles and emotional connections
Items like POP MART’s The Monsters Vinyl Toys tap into a powerful current on TikTok: nostalgia as connection. In a landscape of fleeting trends, these collectibles offer a way for people to ground themselves in emotion and community. Their popularity reflects how TikTok turns products into cultural touchpoints, and how purchases become shared experiences, woven into a wider emotional story (and suspended from designer bags, of course!).
68K
#Labubu videos posted on TikTok in 2025
1.1B
Video Views on Labubu related content in 2025
Delulu for Labubu
If you’re not on “LabubuTok” the only way to explain it is Beatlemania but for a 15cm fluffy toy. Sold only by POPMART, The Monsters, or Labubus, as they are more commonly known, are a plush toy created by designer Kasing Lung. Sold in blind boxes collected into themed lines, there is often a rare and secret Labubu per line which is the most coveted.
April 2024
Lisa
March 2025
Labubu opens a pop-up store in Harrods featuring
July 2025
Fashion brand Uniqlo announces a POPMART x Labubu capsule collection launching in August 2025.
Thai Government tap Labubu to be their new face of tourism
April 2025
Outfits and accessories for Labubu start popping up on eCommerce sites, like Etsy and, of course, TikTok Shop.
from Blackpink was spotted with Labubu box on her social media.
Labubu Fans Form Long Line Outside Harrods for Creator
Pop Mart has paused Labubu sales in the UK for safety reasons amid the blind box craze
Category data crunches
FASHION
Sheer dominance and the denim renaissance
A clear trend
TikTok's search data reveals a clear human instinct: celebrity fashion moments provoke attention and spark curiosity, with Bianca Censori's provocative Grammy outfit and Bad Bunny's barely-there Calvin Klein collaboration topping the search trends in the fashion category on platform.
Beyond the shock red carpet tactics and iconic collaborations, the “naked truth” is trickling down into everyday fashion.
TikTok fashion girlies are calling the ‘barely there sandal’ the shoe of the summer. A strappy sandal that elongates the leg while letting your outfit shine.
‘Clear uggs’ were also a top searched product in H1. This exemplifies the appetite for niche items that go beyond what is readily available in stores, a shift towards individuality within trends themselves.
And brands are following suit. Back in 2021, Clinique lipstick Black Honey shot back into our hearts after TikTok’s Lord of the Rings community found it was the colour Liv Tyler’s character wore, giving it TikTok cult status. In 2025, Clinique is releasing a new shade “Nude Honey” 50 years after the original was launched.
#Coachella2025 (135K posts)
Coachella remains a major moment in the fashion calendar, with its April timing helping to set the tone for the US and European summer festival season.
While search interest and hashtags - especially #Coachella2025 - spike in April, the festival’s influence extends well beyond the event itself, with consistently high engagement on Coachella-related content over time.
Y2K nostalgia continues with some key items from 2025 were the butterfly tops, sheer outfits, sequins galore, and millennials rejoice as we saw bohemian inspired styles return (a la Vanessa Hudgens golden age) with a modern edge. But our most searched for Coachella looks were from…
Engagement Rate Coachella Videos Published
Charli D’Amelio Katie Fang Deja Clark
Denim Redefined: Where Comfort Meets Custom-Fit
While never far from the spotlight, denim is back in full focus, fuelled by cultural moments like Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter era. But this time, the silhouette is shifting. Shoppers are leaning into comfort, with looser legs and lower rises gaining traction.
Brands like RELA RELA and KatchMe are tapping into this trend with practical-yet-stylish pieces, such as their Viral Stretchy Soft Dad Fit Jeans and Casual Mid-Rise Stretchy Jeans.
What sets their approach apart is daily LIVE sessions on TikTok Shop, which help users navigate breadth of range and the challenge of finding the perfect fit. By showcasing petite, curvy and tall models, they’re creating an inclusive and accessible shopping experience, which sees users being able to buy for their shape and size with confidence.
+27.77%
Increase in orders of RELA RELA Viral Stretchy Soft Dad Fit Jeans TikTok Shop Data- 1st March to 29th May
BEAUTY
A focus on skin health and hybrid products
#SkinBarrier
Skincare is no longer just about aesthetics. It’s about health, science, and self-empowerment. The rise of #SkinBarrier, the layer that keeps your skin balanced, calm and resilient, reflects a growing consumer sophistication around skincare routines.
TikTok users are leaning into educational content, ingredient breakdowns, and barrier-friendly product routines, often spotlighting brands like CeraVe or dermatologists on the platform.
Number of published videos with
The hashtag's momentum shows that users want to understand their skin and are eager to invest in solutions that support long-term resilience, not just short-term results.
182.8M
Video views on
in 2025
Jan-June 2025
#SkinBarrier
#SkinBarrier content
TikTok Internal Data, GB,
Beauty and Wellness: Effortless Results
TikTok shoppers are seeking effortless beauty routines. Products like the Wonderskin Lip Stain and P.Louise Bad B*tch Lip Duo highlight a growing preference for long-lasting solutions that require little maintenance.
In wellness, items like Glow For It Lengthening and Strengthening Lash Serum and Nature Spell Limited Edition Rosemary Hair Oil reflect a broader demand for results-driven self-care, where consumers prioritise products that deliver tangible results with minimal effort.
There's been a lot of trending content on TikTok around minimalist or 'clean girl' beauty (millions of views), as well as low maintenance routines. Lip stains are definitely very popular for people interested in these aesthetics - they provide long-lasting colour that doesn't easily smudge or transfer, and there's no need for constant reapplication in the same way that you would need to do with a lipstick. Our Wonder Blading Lip Stain really does last for hours, which makes for a much easier day-to-day beauty routine.
Michael Malinsky, Founder, Wonderskin
1 sold every 5 seconds
Wonderskin Lipstain sells fast on TikTok Shop
TikTok Shop Data
How they did it: Tapping into the creator community
Our social team at its core, are true creators themselves. Being acutely aware of trends, shifts and cycles within the platform, is not a 'nice to have' but a must have for any brand today.
Michael Malinsky, Founder, Wonderskin
Objective
Wonderskin needed a scalable way to drive sales and expand into the US market. They turned to TTCC to efficiently source high-quality creator content. This partnership allowed Wonderskin to better understand how to engage new markets and grow its customer community.
Results
Since last year, eight campaigns have driven impressive results. TTCC ads boosted sales velocity for their '1140 Longwear Eyeliner' by 1000%, increased return on ad spend (ROAS) by 328%, and reduced cost per click (CPC) by 53%.
Wonderskin were looking for a more scalable solution for leveraging creator content and expanding in a new market. With TikTok Creative Challenge (TTCC), the brand was able to easily select market-native creative partners to help them drive sales and boost ROAS. So far, Wonderskin has worked with 407 creators through TTCC, producing ad content that catapulted Lip Stain and Eyeliner sales. TTCC has reshaped the brand’s ad content strategy.
This reinforced their viral moment with sustainable, high-performing content.
“ The uglier you go to bed the prettier you wake up”
Bedtime beauty is getting bolder - and deliberately less pretty. From slugging to sleep masks and silk bonnets, the nightly routine has become a space for serious self-care. It’s not about looking flawless for others, but about putting in the work for yourself.
This shift reflects a new kind of perfectionism - quieter, more personal, and rooted in ritual. The “uglier” you go to bed, the better you feel waking up. Because looking good starts when no one’s watching.
Gen Z Home Trends: Home is where the disco ball is
While the fashion world embraces "groutfits," the home décor landscape is undergoing a radical shift, with millennial grey finally being ushered out. In its place, Gen Z is championing a vibrant and playful aesthetic. While millennials are all about flipping houses, Gen Z are looking at personalising spaces through smaller, morphable objects.
A defining element of this trend is the ubiquitous presence of disco-inspired accents. Far from being relegated to parties, disco balls (11.6M VV) are appearing as lamps, adorning door frames, and even transforming planters. This playful nod to retro glam extends to "foodifying" everything, with fruit-shaped objects, from candle holders to vases, adding a touch of quirky charm. The thrifting community, is fiercely competing to collect novelty stools shaped like corn, lime, lemon, cupcakes, and strawberries, turning everyday furniture into whimsical collectibles.
The DIY spirit thrives with the enduring popularity of checkerboard designs (12.9M VV). Replacing the millennial obsession with chevron, this graphic pattern is being creatively applied to side tables, desks, and chairs through easy-to-follow tutorials, allowing for personalised, budget-friendly transformations.
Curated maximalism vs functional minimalists
Interestingly, two other significant design trends are transcending generational divides, occupying opposite ends of the aesthetic spectrum. On one hand, there's a renewed and growing interest in Scandinavian style homes. This movement emphasises minimalist, functional design, epitomised by uncluttered kitchen aesthetics featuring doorless cabinetry that proudly displays organised, often minimalist dish collections.
We saw high searches for Japanese floating beds and accordion doors, which further underscores a desire for quality, intriguing, and timeless home aesthetics, signaling a move towards considered investment pieces.
Conversely, the rise of curated maximalism (50.5M VV) offers a bold contrast. This trend, affectionately dubbed "dopamine decor" by the TikTok community, is all about creating spaces that evoke joy and personality. Think vibrant colours, an eclectic mix of "bits and bobs," and thoughtfully arranged collections that reflect individual tastes and bring small bursts of happiness to everyday life. See also “global grandparent”, which is an aesthetic that can only be built over time and reflects travel experiences, curated in a meaningful way.
The Rise of Seamless Living
The demand for multifunctional gadgets and technology that seamlessly integrate into busy lives has surged. Our top searched for items in this category were the Ember Mug, keeping beverages at the perfect temperature, the Cirkul Water Bottle with its customisable flavour cartridges, the portable Ninja Blast Cordless Blender, and the efficient Shark Cordless Pressure Washer. These innovations speak directly to a consumer base that prioritises unfettered convenience.
Beyond the realm of practical, everyday gadgets, a different kind of technological curiosity is capturing attention: large-scale, often aspirational home technology.
This is evident in the remarkable surge of search interest for "finished 3D printed house," which emerged as one of the top queries in Q2. This fascination was fueled by the viral journey of a creator who successfully 3D printed a four-bedroom family home in the US. This significant interest highlights a deeper societal fascination with how cutting-edge technology can revolutionise not just individual tasks, but the very fabric of our living spaces, hinting at a future where the unattainable becomes increasingly within reach.
The Art of Hosting: Crafting Community in a Cost-Conscious World
Hosting isn’t just about laying a creative tablescape - it democratises entertaining, combining interior design, culinary prowess and hospitality. In the face of increasing loneliness and rising cost of living, Hosting (82.2M VV) encourages community building and enjoying the little things in everyday, i.e. actually using those nice plates you only use when the in-laws come over.
Dinner parties have made a stylish return in 2025, with a new wave of supper clubs and platforms like Timeleft - the app that matches strangers by algorithm to meet over a shared meal - driving the trend. There’s a growing appetite for more inclusive, meaningful ways to connect, where guests can be fully present for deeper conversation, while still gaining cultural currency by capturing the moment on TikTok. Brands are joining the table too: in June, Le Creuset hosted a Secret Supper dinner party in New York City, blending intimacy with influence.
Often intersecting with #FoodTok (3.9B VV), there has been some stand out dishes like #WhippedButter or #ButterBoards (also playing into Butter Yellow being the colour for Summer 2025 with 65M VV); Food in brine- think tinned fish, specifically sardines (14M VV), and olives(14M VV).
FOOD
Have you tried putting protein in it?
Food as a shared experience
Food is one of the hottest topics on platform. The viral ‘Irish Spice Bag’ a mix of chips, peppers, chicken in salt & pepper flavouring, with TikTok searches for ‘Salt and Pepper’ recipes increasing by 468% in May this year.
Hot Honey (66.2M VV), honey mixed with chilli and vinegar, was everyone’s favourite topping making its way onto everything from cottage cheese to watermelon.
Dubai Chocolate went viral last year, with several supermarkets now stocking the tasty treat. Looking into publishing data, we’re calling Angel Hair Chocolate (5.4M VV) the next big thing, a chocolate bar filled with pashmak, an Iranian pulled sugar that’s reminiscent of candy floss.
Crumbl Cookies has huge search interest on platform, even in the UK. Their Kardashian collaboration taste test was one of the top searches. We’re seeing brands tap into business growth by acting quickly on trends - M&S has just released a loaded cookie similar to the viral cookie.
Some of the top trending searches in H1 2025 - including Koka noodles and creator Spudman - reflect the community’s appetite for food that’s tasty, easy, and budget-friendly. In a tongue-in-cheek twist on the classic mukbang format, creators even embraced the concept of a “water mukbang,” sipping from a variety of vessels in a playful nod to minimalist indulgence.
FoodMaxxing
You’ve heard of looksmaxxing, but now it’s come for your food.
The protein-ifcation, fibermaxxing and gut-healing properties of food have only continued to grow in popularity on the platform. As weight-loss jabs rise in availability, the food that is consumed now has even greater focus on its benefits per bite i.e. high protein.
Protein Power
While not new, Protein continues to be the buzz word coming for your next meal deal. In a recent survey 37% of UK consumers are actively prioritising their daily protein consumption and 75% are eating more protein than they were a year ago1. On platform we have seen a 76% increase protein video views.
Gut Health and Fibremaxxing
Vegetables, fruit and seeds - oh my! With the huge interest in protein, it was only natural for the next progression to be interest in other micronutrients. While you might have just reached your protein goals, it’s time to start tracking your fibre.
Fibre took off on platform after the viral 2024 “Dense Bean Salad” promised to help keep you fuller for longer, as well as the variety of nutrients helping you maintain or build better gut health. While so many health trends can focus on removing foods from your diet, having a healthy gut microbiome is achieved by adding a variety of fruits, and vegetables (naturally high in fibre) to your diet.
Take the viral Carrot Ribbon Salad (8.1M VV) or “Eat your retinol salad” packs both flavour and is full of fibre, which can support skin.
Trending Hashtags
#HighProtein:
820M VV
377.4M VV
#Fibre:
#GutHealth: 33M VV
TikTok Internal Data, GB, Jan-June 2025
What this means for brands
Chase the Trend ONLY if it’s right for you.
Brands that can jump on trends will maximise business impact, but only if they can harness their community power to share their message.
Nostalgia
transcends.
Tap into the past to connect emotionally with your audience, your creative matters. We see several trends tapping into past trends like Y2K and hostingcore.
Embrace the niche.
TikTok will show the right video to the right audience, make sure you’re sharing your product with the people that will care the most, i.e. carrots with the skincare fanatics.
Lost or need to know where to start, check out our commercial partnerships below, which can help you find the right audience.
Activate the trends
Keeping up with trends is tough, and knowing how to act on them can be daunting. Delivering quick, reactive content isn't always easy. TikTok's OwnTheTrend Content Solution does the heavy lifting, making it simple for brands to authentically and natively leverage trends.
