Interest in Temu, Shein, and AliExpress is rising too — even as tariffs climb.
Forty-one percent of Americans are now shopping on TikTok Shop, up sharply from 30 percent a year ago, according to a new survey from ecommerce marketing platform Omnisend. The findings arrive as major brands accelerate their presence on the platform, raising a pointed question for retailers: Is TikTok Shop the next mainstream retail channel?
The data suggests it may already be.
Tariffs Are Not Slowing Chinese Marketplaces Down
Across every Chinese marketplace tracked in the survey, shopping activity increased over the past year — despite an ongoing tariff environment and rising consumer awareness of trade policy.
Temu usage climbed 9 percent, from 53 percent of respondents last year to 58 percent today. Shein saw a 23 percent increase, rising from 40 percent to 49 percent. AliExpress grew 38 percent, from 26 percent to 36 percent.
The growth is notable given that 46 percent of U.S. consumers now say they support tariffs — up 35 percent from last year, when only 34 percent said the same. Consumer sentiment and consumer behavior, it appears, are moving in opposite directions.
The explanation may lie in where price increases are actually landing. Seventy-four percent of respondents said they are spending more online this year than last. But the increases are being felt most acutely on Amazon, where 57 percent of shoppers reported higher prices, and on Walmart, where 48 percent said the same. By contrast, only 12 percent of TikTok Shop users reported price increases, along with 25 percent on Temu, 19 percent on Shein, and 12 percent on AliExpress.
“Price increases are finding their way to U.S. shoppers via stores with traditional business models like Amazon and Walmart,” said Mary Bauer, ecommerce expert at Omnisend. “However, since many Chinese sellers operate in a manufacturer-to-consumer model, even with tariffs, many are able to keep prices competitive. As shoppers seek value, stores like Temu and Shein continue to appeal to U.S. consumers.”
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Social Commerce Is Redrawing the Retail Map
The TikTok Shop numbers reflect something broader than platform preference. They reflect a structural shift in how discovery and purchase are collapsing into a single moment — one that traditional retail formats were not designed to capture.
“The blending of e-commerce and social media continues to redefine what we consider to be a modern storefront,” Bauer said. “Regardless of the channel, the customer journey remains at the forefront, meaning always-on brands have unique opportunities to attract shoppers.”
What Retailers Should Do Now
For brands trying to navigate this shift, Omnisend outlines several strategic adjustments worth considering.
Expanding to TikTok Shop and other Chinese marketplaces is worth evaluating for brands in a position to do so. The ability for a consumer to move from entertainment to purchase in a single scroll represents a meaningful conversion opportunity that traditional channels cannot replicate.
Email marketing remains one of the highest-ROI channels available. One in ten shoppers who click on a marketing email makes a purchase — a conversion rate that holds up against any social platform.
Brands can also bridge the two worlds by converting social-referred web traffic into email subscribers through targeted signup prompts, creating a pipeline from social discovery to owned-channel loyalty.
Finally, in an environment where price sensitivity is elevated, promoting tangible value — free shipping, flexible returns, product quality guarantees — at every stage of the customer journey is no longer optional. It is the baseline expectation.
