Filipinos turn to TikTok for Christmas shopping ideas

From being mainly an entertainment platform, Tiktok has become a fashion consultant, a personal shopper and an online chef to many Filipinos, Tiktok Philippines said, citing its recent study.

To put together their outfit for the holidays, people are turning to TikTok for fashion inspiration, according to a study commissioned by the social media giant.

The study revealed that 88 percent of Filipino consumers check TikTok for beauty and fashion ideas this holiday season, with some 62 percent making fashion purchases, and 51 percent buying beauty products that they’ve seen on the platform.

Expected rise

Online shopping is expected to rise in the fourth quarter, as 99 percent of surveyed Filipino TikTok users said they were looking forward to buying Christmas gifts for family, friends and themselves.

“Our family-centric culture of coming together and giving gifts makes Christmas a meaningful time for Pinoys,” said Life Dawn Cervero, TikTok Philippines vertical head for food and beverage. The platform “complements this by providing not only authentic and entertaining content, but also (serving as) avenues of discovery, exploration and exciting shopping experiences,” Cervero said.

For meal planning

The TikTok study noted that sales of consumer electronics would likely rise, with the survey indicating that three out of five TikTok users were planning to buy electronics and gadgets this season, including mobile phones and laptops.

Majority, or 71 percent of them, said the purchases were for themselves, according to the survey.

TikTok has also become some sort of Food Channel, as more than half of the respondents said they were checking the platform for holiday meals. As many as 82 percent of the surveyed Filipinos said they’ve tried a recipe found on TikTok.

READ: Noel Bazaar ushers in holiday shopping season at Okada Manila

The study also showed that 97 percent of TikTok users checked out items after watching ads on the platform during the Mega Sales season.

Game-changer

“This holiday season, shoppertainment has emerged as a game-changer because today’s consumers seek to be entertained online, and not just be treated as potential buyers. There is a fundamental shift in consumer-brand interactions,” Cervero said, adding that “consumers are now seeking engaging, exciting, educational and entertaining experiences with brands.”

TikTok has been encouraging entrepreneurs to produce holiday-themed content to attract more customers. Doing so would allow quicker product discovery and stronger customer engagement, the social media giant said.