TikTok has launched its first SME council for TikTok-focused small businesses, as the social media platform boosts its ecommerce division.

The new council consists of 20 small businesses, using the social media app to grow their brand, through features such as Live shopping and shoppable ads.

Holding its first meeting in Stoke-on-Trent, the SME Council includes small businesses such as affordable wig brand Hair Anatomy UK,  Manchester-based sleep company Levitex and artisan candle and wax melt seller Bear Burners.

The company said it aims for the new group to provide insights to help shape its first SME Manifesto, consisting of practical, proactive requests to policymakers designed to accelerate SME growth on the app.

The new initiative’s launch comes as new Neilson IQ research found that TikTok Shop was the fastest-growing online retailer in 2024, with a 131% annual increase in the number of shoppers, and a 180% year-on-year rise in revenue at the end of last year.

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“TikTok gives small businesses the opportunity to be discovered by new communities, the creative tools to engage authentically and, ultimately, the chance to put their products in the hands of an ever-growing number of UK consumers,” said director of public policy and government affairs Ali Law. 

“It’s why SMEs across the country come to TikTok every day to share their passions, reach new customers and grow their businesses. By launching our new SME Council, we’re taking our support of these businesses beyond the app, giving them a platform to call for policies that will unlock the next phase of their growth.”

The new launch also follows TikTok’s expansion of its ecommerce platform, with last month UK head Jan Wilk said that from 31 March, the online shop will also be available in Germany, France and Italy.

It comes as TikTok UK looks to focus on the growth of fresh food sales, with head of FMCG Matt Beane telling Grocery Gazette that the “future of TikTok shop is fresh”.

Hinting at a new potential supermarket partnership, Beane also confirmed that the app is actively engaging with UK grocery retailers, following Lidl’s debut earlier this year.