TikTok Shop's Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) in the United States surged to $11.8 billion in the first half of 2026, marking a 103% increase year-over-year and establishing the country as the platform's largest global market. Globally, TikTok Shop achieved a GMV of $50.3 billion during the same period, with projections suggesting it will exceed $100 billion for the full year. This remarkable growth in the US indicates the development of distinct sales strategies, diverging from Asian models.
Explosive Growth Propels US Market to Global Leadership
According to reports from Momentum Works and data analytics platform Tabcut, TikTok Shop's US operations recorded a Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) of $11.8 billion in the first half of 2026, demonstrating a significant 103% growth compared to the same period last year. This performance has once again positioned the United States as the largest market within TikTok Shop's global ecosystem.
During the same period, TikTok Shop's worldwide GMV reached $50.3 billion, a 92% increase year-over-year. If this trend continues, the platform's total GMV for 2026 is expected to surpass $100 billion. TikTok Shop has accelerated its growth from less than $1 billion in GMV five years ago, with the US market notably overtaking Southeast Asia in 2024.
US Sales Strategy Shifts from Live Streaming to Shop Tab
The report highlights a discernible shift in how TikTok Shop is generating sales within the US market. The proportion of total attributed GMV accounted for by the 'Shop tab' increased from 36% to 51.4%, while 'Live' sales contracted to 8.2%. Although video content continues to drive product discovery, contributing 40.4% of GMV, actual transactions are increasingly occurring through the Shop tab rather than live streaming.
This trend presents a stark contrast to the live-centric sales model prevalent in TikTok Shop's ecosystems in China and Southeast Asia. The report analyzes that despite US influencers developing live sales tactics, the share of live sales in the overall US GMV remains significantly smaller compared to Asian markets.
Expanding Seller Base Fuels Intense Competition
In the first half of 2026, over 5,700 stores surpassed $1 million in GMV, an eightfold increase year-over-year. Among these, 506 stores achieved GMV exceeding $10 million. This indicates a broader distribution of success, with a much larger number of sellers and creators reaching significant scale on the platform, unlike the past when success was concentrated among a few top sellers.
The report suggests that while it has become easier to enter the US TikTok Shop market, succeeding has become more challenging. Supporting this observation, average prices declined in 21 out of 27 tracked categories, and eight of the top 10 influencers by GMV were new entrants. The increasing prevalence of AI-generated videos and live streaming content is anticipated to further intensify competition in the future.
