RIYADH: New research from TikTok has revealed how consumers across the Middle East and North Africa are embracing discovery-led commerce, with the platform influencing every stage of the shopping journey.
According to the findings, 77 percent of consumers discover new products on TikTok, accounting for 15 percent of all product discoveries across media, emails and word-of-mouth combined.
Across MENA, Q4 remains the region’s busiest shopping season, as global sales events such as Black Friday, Singles’ Day and Cyber Monday overlap with regional celebrations such as Saudi National Day, UAE National Day and a vibrant calendar of cultural festivals.
TikTok’s data shows that the season is no longer limited to short spikes in activity, as 66 percent of MENA consumers shop outside major sales events, spreading their purchases across the quarter. More than half of users report making impulse purchases after seeing TikTok videos, while 69 percent say they are more open to seeing ads on TikTok than on other platforms.
Spending is distributed through October (34 percent), November (39 percent), and December (27 percent), indicating sustained engagement rather than brief shopping surges.
