Analysis: The most unexpected retail TikTok stars of 2022

No comments

From trendy sportswear brands like Gymshark to cutting-edge tech giants like Apple, some retailers are social media naturals that grow from the moment they arrive on TikTok, whereas others have to work a little harder to win their audience. While these high street stalwarts may not be front of mind when one thinks of the hugely popular platform, they have earned their positions as fan favourites

TikTok

Sage Appliances

Sage is not the biggest household name in the UK as it goes by Breville here, but thanks to its masterful use of live shopping it has hit number one on TikTok Shop’s ranking of electricals retailers for the EU.

Specialising in kitchen products, Sage has poured a lot of energy into the platform’s live-shopping feature and it has paid off in spades.

According to its omnichannel agency Stellar, during an eight-hour live shopping event on Black Friday, Sage garnered 2.3 million impressions, achieved an 18.7% product click-through rate and, although it did not confirm the exact number, turned over six figures worth of sales on the day.

@sagestudios_uk The time has come🥳 If you've had your eye on a Barista Express for a while, you can grab one now and save almost £150 until tomorrow! That means, you could be making oat flat whites at home in no time at all☕️ #sagebaristaexpress #baristaathome #sagecoffeemachine #oatflatwhite #oatmilkrecipes ♬ Debussy "moon light" first half (room) - MusicFreaks

Sage EMEA president David Gubbin said: “Everyone involved in making this happen is humbled by the numbers.” He added that the sales were “vindication of the work we’ve put into developing the space.”

Product demonstrations are front and centre of Sage’s TikTok content and its espresso machines are the stars, with recipes for Starbucks copycat drinks such as apple crisp macchiatos and salted caramel frappés racking up more than 100,000 views.

B&M and Home Bargains

These two discounters are cleaning up on TikTok without lifting a finger as shoppers are doing all the hard work for them.

Both B&M and Home Bargains have been beneficiaries of the TikTok ‘haul’ trend, which sees users unpacking a post-shop bag to show off what they have just purchased.

There are also the self-explanatory ‘Come shopping with me’ and ‘What’s new in…’ trends, where store tours of each retailer feature extensively.

This is the type of marketing and engagement money can’t buy as a quick search of each of the retailer’s names on the short-form video platform reveals thousands of videos with millions of organic views, likes and shares.

@sophiena_official Would it really be me if there wasn’t a part 2 🤣🤣 #fyp #viral ♬ original sound - Soph ♡

Their homewares, snacks and seasonal products are fan favourites, with one ‘Come Christmas shopping with me at B&M’ clip from user Naomi Victoria racking up 7.4 million views since it was posted at the end of last month.

Both retailers have in-house TikTok accounts – B&M has a healthy flow of posts and almost 100,000 followers, while Home Bargains has fewer than 10 posts and a modest 23,200 followers – but both pale in comparison to the organic content produced by its shoppers.

Superdrug

Superdrug was at the height of its TikTok relevance earlier this year when a very GCSE drama-style performance from Superdrug St Helens promoting Father’s Day deals went viral, reaching 1 million views within a couple of weeks and quickly becoming a beloved meme.

But the retailer hasn’t just harnessed the creativity of its in-store teams – it has been quietly growing engagement from its main brand account on the platform, too.

With 289,000 followers on its primary account, which does not include individual store accounts, it eclipses both Boots and Sephora UK, which have 49,000 and 21,700 respectively.

@superdrug Shop up to 60% off now in our early access Black Friday deal for our Health and Beautycard members! 🤩 Thank us later 😜 #superdrug #healthandbeautycard #blackfriday2022 #blackfridaydeals ♬ GOTG Lo-fi Beat - DJ BAI

Superdrug’s account features plenty of make-up tutorials from beauty influencers, which will help to expand its following, but it also has a strong focus on value and has been busy sharing videos about its promotions and discounts – an element that will no doubt serve it well during the cost-of-living crisis.

Marks & Spencer

Not just any foodie TikTok account, Marks & Spencer’s offering of indulgent treats, eye-catching flavours and, of course, Percy Pig has bagged buckets of engagement from users.

Recent popular posts include an ‘air fryer hacks’ series, featuring a recipe for cinnamon bagel French toast with more than 80,000 views, while Percy Pig dancing to Them Changes by Thundercat has almost reached 1 million views.

@sophiaspx M&S Christmas food >>> #garlicbread #marksandspencerfood #christmasfood #mealideas #dinnerideas #dinnerinspo #mealinspo ♬ Originalton - just vibe

Like B&M and Home Bargains, M&S has also benefited from organic user-generated content such as hauls and ‘Come shopping with me’-style videos, but its foodie credentials mean legions of fans have made taste-test and recipe videos as well.

One video from user Grace Carter, which shows her cutting open an M&S Kissabel apple, has racked up 1.5 million views, while another by user Sophiaspx cooking the retailer’s garlic doughball Christmas tree has 1.9 million.

@mandsromford Ummmmm yeah #mandslocal #fyp #love #TeamRomford #tiktok #mands #marksandspencer #mandsromford #retail #viral ♬ umm.. yeah - safetyncts

However, it is the individual M&S store accounts that really demonstrate how engaged users are with the brand.

M&S Romford is among the most popular, with 94,000 followers and regularly reaching more than 1 million views on its staff-made posts.

M&S Longbridge’s team manager Craig is now a local celebrity after his demonstration of the retailer’s Scan and Shop tech took off, with more than 1.3 million views.