‘Rise of TikTok casts shadow on retail sector’

Social media remain an inspiration rather than a direct sales channel for now, but the question is for how long. The unlikely rise of TikTok could be the start of a new retail model, a new study suggests.

Platforms for brands

Instagram remains the most popular social media platform in Belgium, but TikTok is catching up quickly. While five years ago, barely 9 % of Flemish young people used the platform daily, that has risen to 72 % (for Belgium as a whole) now. The growth is particularly striking among those aged 16 to 24, and has expanded beyond its original adopters base of teenage girls, the sixth edition of the SMI Barometer suggests. That is an annual survey by the Belgian Arteveldehogeschool and trade federation Comeos on social media use in the country.