TikTok Shop is coming for Shopee’s ecommerce crown

In Singapore, e-commerce giant Shopee still holds a dominant 52% market share as of 2025 in the second quarter of 2026. However, TikTok Shop overtook Shopee by sales volume in Thailand earlier this year, marking a potential shift in Southeast Asia's e-commerce landscape. Although the gap is only 3%, it signals Shopee's dominance in the region may be waning.

TikTok Shop is poised to expand further, launching a standalone app. Analysts predict that it could soon overtake Shopee in Vietnam within the next six to nine months. In the fashion category, TikTok Shop already leads in Vietnam, while beauty sales are evenly split between the two platforms. In Thailand, TikTok Shop has already surpassed Shopee in skincare and beauty categories several months ago, indicating that TikTok Shop's success is not an isolated incident in Southeast Asia.

TikTok Shop's growth is driven by the region's strong demand for categories that are better suited for its platform, such as beauty and personal care. These categories are well-suited for short videos and livestreams, allowing creators to demonstrate products, review them, and interact with consumers. Promotions and sales events, which Shopee often relies on, could prove more effective as marketing strategies in Vietnam due to consumer hesitance to buy higher-priced products.

Despite TikTok Shop's strong performance, Shopee maintains a significant lead in Singapore, with a 52% market share as of 2025. Singapore's consumers are accustomed to mall-based shopping, and livestream shopping and short-form entertainment are less established. Additionally, Shopee faces challenges due to its relatively underdeveloped influencer scene and smaller market size, according to Havas' Toni Ruotanen.