TikTok Shop Hit $15.82 Billion — Now TikTok Wants Restaurants, Payments and Hotels Too

TikTok Shop grew U.S. sales by 407% in 2024 and another 108% in 2025, reaching $15.82 billion, according to eMarketer. That number explains everything TikTok announced this week. The platform has launched an in-app restaurant guide called "Must Eat," and it has been spotted developing a feature to send money over direct messages. The pattern is deliberate: TikTok is building a super app.

What is "Must Eat" and who does it threaten?

The new guide draws on more than 40 million posts and comments to compile restaurant recommendations and curated lists in one place. Users can browse restaurants by city and filter by cuisine, price, rating, and location. The move puts TikTok in more direct competition with Yelp and Google Maps. It also formalizes what already happens organically, since viral TikTok videos routinely drive customers to local eateries.

How far do the payments ambitions go?

Bloomberg reported in August that TikTok is developing a feature allowing users to send each other money via direct messages. If rolled out, it would run through TikTok Pay, which already handles TikTok Shop purchases in Southeast Asia. Reuters reported in March that TikTok had applied to Brazil's central bank for approval to operate as a fintech company offering lending and payment services. For practitioners, the implications are concrete: deeper engagement, new revenue streams, and competition with fintech startups and e-commerce platforms.

Has TikTok moved beyond shopping and payments?

Yes, across several fronts. In early June, TikTok launched a dedicated FIFA World Cup hub showing scores, schedules, standings, highlights, and player videos. The hub runs on "TikTok GamePlan," a product that lets sports teams, leagues, and broadcasters drive discovery on the platform. TikTok also holds partnerships with Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball for behind-the-scenes and exclusive content.

In May, TikTok launched TikTok GO in the United States, letting users discover and book hotels, attractions, and experiences in-app. Users can view details, check availability, and complete bookings without a redirect to third-party websites. That puts TikTok in direct competition with Google's core businesses, Search and Maps — not just discovery, but the purchase of the trip itself.

TikTok's search experience now surfaces maps, local hashtags, and reviews, with dedicated pages showing opening hours, star ratings, and price ranges. The company has also launched casual games playable in DMs and pushed into microdramas — scripted shows in one-minute episodes — through an in-app Minis section and a stand-alone app, deepening competition with Netflix and other streamers.

What happened with music?

Music is the cautionary tale. TikTok launched a streaming service, TikTok Music, in 2023 to take on Spotify and Apple Music, then shut it down a year later. The company said it would focus on driving music listening and partner with streaming services rather than compete. The music ambitions are not dead: Apple Music subscribers can now play full songs in the app after discovering them on the "For You" feed.

Why the super app bet?

The model is proven in China, where WeChat combines messaging, payments, and an app store in one platform. Whether it works outside China remains an open question, but TikTok — which transitioned to new, primarily U.S. ownership back in January — is applying the TikTok Shop playbook everywhere. The numbers justify the confidence: eMarketer puts TikTok's share of U.S. social commerce at 18.2% last year, expected to reach 24.1% by 2027. TikTok Shop also launched gift cards late last year and expanded into luxury retail after its early reputation for cheap goods. If the commerce engine keeps compounding at even a fraction of its recent pace, the restaurant guide and payment features will likely be the first of many more app-by-app land grabs.