TikTok Shop Enters European Market with 'Fulfilled by TikTok' Logistics Strategy

TikTok Shop Builds Serious Logistics Infrastructure in Europe

TikTok Shop eyes Europe with new logistics strategy

TikTok Shop has Europe in its sights with a new logistics scheme to speed up local fulfillment, fueled by content-driven sales tactics.

TikTok Shop is building serious logistics infrastructure in the European market. With warehouses established in Spain, Germany, and Italy as bases, they're strengthening local fulfillment capabilities. They're eliminating the long delivery times typical of cross-border e-commerce and deploying their unique ecosystem integrating content and commerce across Europe.

Background and Industry Trends

Rapid Growth of European Social Commerce Market

The European social commerce market is expanding rapidly. Market size is projected to grow from €25.8 billion in 2023 to €44.8 billion by 2028, with approximately 25% of European users already having made purchases through social media.

TikTok has 159 million monthly active users in the European Union, recording 11.5% growth compared to end of 2023. Product discovery through short videos (discovery commerce) is particularly taking hold among younger demographics, establishing purchasing behaviors different from traditional search-based e-commerce.

TikTok Shop's European Expansion Timeline

TikTok Shop first entered the European market in the UK in 2021. Subsequently, it accelerated expansion to Spain and Ireland in December 2024, followed by Germany, France, and Italy in March 2025. Currently, approximately 72.1 million users across 6 European countries have access.

Deep Dive

Full Details of the "Fulfilled by TikTok (FBT)" Logistics Strategy

The core of the announced logistics strategy is a proprietary fulfillment service called "Fulfilled by TikTok (FBT)".

1. Sellers ship inventory to TikTok-designated warehouses in Spain, Germany, and Italy
2. TikTok handles storage, picking, packing, shipping, and returns processing end-to-end
3. Local shipping dramatically reduces delivery times (from 1-2 weeks for cross-border to within days)

Operations are already running in the UK, and Germany has established a logistics team in Munich. Job postings for Fulfillment Operations Manager have been confirmed in Madrid, indicating logistics network construction is progressing across Europe.

Entry Requirements and Fee Structure

Participation in FBT is currently invitation-only and requires meeting the following requirements:

• Ability to hold inventory within Europe
• VAT (Value Added Tax) qualification in target countries
• Ability to ship to designated warehouses

Note that starting January 8, 2026, platform fees increased from 5% to 9% across 5 countries: Germany, Spain, France, Italy, and Ireland (7% for electronics category). However, new sellers who list 5 products within 15 days receive a promotional preferential rate of 4% for 60 days.

Competitive Landscape Against Amazon, Temu, and SHEIN

TikTok Shop's differentiation lies in integrating logistics with creator marketing.

TikTok matches sellers with local creators and agencies, sending samples directly from warehouses. They've established a system where influencers can begin content creation immediately upon product arrival. This provides a significant advantage in delivering a "discovery-based" rather than search-based shopping experience.

In the UK market, TikTok Shop transaction volume grew 93% from 2023 to 2024. This far exceeds Amazon UK's 12.7% growth rate during the same period, demonstrating social commerce's momentum.

Future Expansion Predictions

A third wave of expansion to Poland, Netherlands, Belgium, Hungary, and Sweden is planned for late 2026. Poland in particular holds Europe's 5th largest e-commerce market and, due to its geographic advantage bordering Germany, is expected to serve as a logistics hub for TikTok Shop.

Impact and Applications for E-commerce Businesses

Implications for International Companies

TikTok Shop's European strategy offers many lessons for e-commerce businesses:

Rather than creating content after products arrive, a mindset of simultaneously designing logistics and marketing is required. TikTok's creator matching function systematizes this approach.

In cross-border e-commerce, delivery time significantly affects conversion rates. Businesses considering European expansion should consider FBT utilization or partnerships with local 3PL (third-party logistics) providers.

Live commerce and short videos are TikTok Shop's growth engines. With TikTok Shop already operating fully in Japan since 2025, accumulating content creation expertise now is important.

Summary

TikTok Shop's European expansion isn't merely geographic growth. It's becoming an experimental ground for a new e-commerce experience combining "content-driven commerce" with "local fulfillment."

Building on global GMV of $33.2 billion in 2024, TikTok is accelerating serious investment in logistics infrastructure. They're pursuing European e-commerce market share on a different axis than Amazon or Temu/SHEIN.

For e-commerce businesses, this means an era where platform choices expand while content creation capabilities are demanded more than ever. TikTok Shop's developments are a trend worth watching closely when considering global e-commerce strategy.