When asked about their initial impressions about TikTok Shop, nearly every interviewee had doubts when they first heard about it. Grace said she was hesitant to shop on TikTok Shop at first until she saw TikTok videos of people actually receiving their products. A few of the participants even grouped TikTok Shop with Shein and Temu, two sites that are known for their cheap, shoddy products. Refer to Figure 1 for more responses. Despite their initial thoughts, all participants went on to purchase items anyway.  

A few participants mentioned that they checked Amazon for the exact same product before purchasing. This includes Angelica, who said she checked Amazon before purchasing from TikTok Shop and found the same product for over three times the price as the one listed on TikTok Shop. Other participants mentioned that they had been enticed to buy products from influencers, but it was after seeing them repeatedly used in other videos. Nick said, “I was willing to run a little $17 experiment to see if it actually worked.”

Chiu and Ho (2023) emphasize that persuasion of an audience depends on their level of interest. After not buying a product right away, TikTok continues to push videos into their feed that they are interested in to keep them contemplating buying. Although they may not have a trust with an influencer, they keep seeing positive reviews for products from several influencers, causing them to have a more positive outlook on the brand they contemplate buying from.

Although this generation relies on others’ reviews to make a purchase decision online, they generally get their products and do not look back. Some of the key words when asked why they do not leave reviews were ‘lazy’ and ‘too much work.’ Lilly, age 21, said she has never left a review after she has received her items. She said she doesn’t see the point and once she receives her products she does not think to go back to the site. After she answered, she thought about what she said again and stated, “Maybe I should.” Rachel however, sees the point in leaving reviews, but only for specific purchases. She mentioned, “I never usually rate things, but if it's a small business, I always will.”

Lilly also explained that she has thought about making a purchase after seeing an advertisement from an influencer, but has only made the choice to purchase on her own accord. The participants also mentioned that they do not often hear about TikTok Shop outside of the platform. Angelica said that outside of advertisements from influencers, she hasn’t seen any form of advertisement from TikTok Shop. From these sources, TikTok Shop’s advertisements are coming from creators on the app in earned media form.

Many of the interviewees were more enthusiastic to talk about their relationships with their family members and friends when looking for product recommendations. According to Aslam (2021), social media marketing is still an extremely under investigated topic due to its new rise in popularity for brands. The consistent partnership between influencers and brands can disengage users from the influencer by switching their content while that’s how they received their large followings in the first place. Their lavish lifestyles that are shown online and sponsored by brands are no longer relatable for their followers, driving them away from influencer content. For these reasons, brands could see a shift in the market where partnerships with influencers are not as successful as they once were. 

Despite their preconceived notions, each of them went on to purchase. However, after their experience with the platform, not all of them are eager to repurchase. Each participant expressed their items were what they were pictured to be, but some said they have had better experiences by shopping on other platforms such as Amazon. A few participants also mentioned the behind the scenes aspect of TikTok Shop, including shipping. Multiple people raised concerns about the time it took their products to be received, including Rachel, who said she had issues that she didn't experience with other e-commerce platforms. She said the process can be confusing and time consuming. Lilly said that she is often intrigued by the price, but when it comes time to check out that the cost associated with shipping will sometimes cost more than the product itself. This reason turns her away from using TikTok Shop in the future. 

TikTok users who find TikTok Shop to be useful will often turn to other platforms first when looking to make a purchase. For small businesses who have found success within the app, this puts more pressure on them to ensure the orders are up to standard for what is advertised and what people receive. Additionally, they should follow TikTok Shop guidelines to ensure that the products are received on time. As outlined in the TikTok Shop Academy (2024), for sellers, inaccurate shipping information is considered fraudulent. With their views on TikTok already being skewed, it is up to the small businesses on TikTok to provide efficient services to change their perception and keep customers coming back.