Recent data suggests TikTok’s growth is slowing down, potentially because of TikTok Shop. According to market intelligence firm Sensor Tower, TikTok’s growth is decelerating. While the app experienced an average quarterly growth of 12% year-over-year in monthly users in 2022, this number dropped to just 3% in 2023. Many are blaming TikTok Shop; while it’s been embraced by sellers, users have expressed dissatisfaction with the app becoming an “ad-filled wasteland” and a “dystopian” space. There’s been debate whether TikTok Shop has “ruined” the app by flooding it with people selling cheap products—and as the feature’s introduction aligns in the timeline of the apps decrease in usage, that might be true to many users. While YPulse data shows TikTok is the number one place Gen Z sees ads that make them want to buy, many clearly aren’t keen on their feed being flooded with them from TikTok Shop. (Tech Crunch)
