Vol. 104 Glossier: Entering new territory 💄

Case Studied
Shifting into new spaces

Certain industries thrive on certain platforms. And TikTok Shop has rapidly emerged as a leading place where Gen Z shops for beauty. 

We’ve seen several examples of this shift in action. Tarte generated nearly $5 million in TikTok Shop sales in a single month. Rhode sold more than 112,000 units before the brand ever even entered retail. So it’s no wonder Glossier decided to get in on the action. 

This week, Case Studied explores how Glossier is betting on TikTok Shop to drive growth.

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The Brief

Glossier launched in 2014 as a digitally native beauty brand built around community, editorial storytelling, and a distinctive millennial-pink identity. The brand’s founder, Emily Weiss, started the brand with the question “How could you make a beauty brand whose sweatshirt people would want to wear?” 

For years, Glossier was the blueprint for DTC beauty. Weiss raised an initial $2 million in seed funding and at its peak, Glossier was valued near $2 billion, with rumors of an IPO lingering. It’s also worth noting that model Karlie Kloss was photographed wearing the brand’s gray sweatshirt. 

But as the beauty landscape grew more competitive, the brand hit turbulence. Growth plateaued, the hype softened, and Weiss stepped down. Under new CEO Kyle Leahy, Glossier began to explore ways to scale beyond its hero products and owned stores. They pursued a multi-platform transformation that included opening more retail locations and entering wholesale for the first time through its 2023 partnership with Sephora. That move turned out to be a home run, generating a $100 million lift in their first year with Sephora.

However, with TikTok Shop becoming the eight-largest beauty retailer in the US, the opportunity on the platform was tough to ignore. In 2024, the TikTok shop had an estimated 150 million daily active users, ranking it above both Sephora and Shein in popularity among Americans. Plus, beauty generated $2.5 billion in gross merchandise value on the platform last year alone.

Seeing all that writing on the wall, Glossier decided to venture into new territory. 

The Execution

Glossier entered TikTok Shop not as an experiment, but as a continuation of its expansion. The brand was already active on TikTok, regularly posting GRWM videos, behind-the-scenes views from their labs, and community-centric storytelling. TikTok Shop provided a natural next step, linking Glossier’s organic content to a path to purchase.

However, the expansion did require Glossier to loosen the reins on its brand assets. They’ve historically been highly intentional about how the brand appears, from store design to product shelving. But TikTok Shop requires ceding some control to the platform. 

@glossier

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Instead of pushing against that reality, Glossier embraced it. The brand intentionally selected creators who authentically aligned with Glossier’s tone and aesthetic, allowing them to lead storytelling in formats that feel native to TikTok.

Glossier still maintains a curated brand page, but acknowledges that the heart of TikTok Shop lies in creator-led demos, livestreams, and UGC. As CEO Kyle Leahy put it, “Glossier’s always been about the community. It’s always about people’s stories. A platform like TikTok Shop where we are partnering with creators is actually a very uniquely Glossier thing.”

The timing of Glossier’s entrance also aligned with several internal shifts: expanding fragrance revenues, leadership transitions, and reports of valuation pressure after a recent down round. With TikTok Shop already producing breakout wins for brands like Rhode and Tarte, the platform represented both a growth lever and a timely narrative shift for investors.

The Results

Glossier has not released TikTok Shop sales data, but At the time of this writing, their top selling item on TikTok Shop has racked up over $350k in sales, according to public sales data on the platform. 

On top of that, several strong indicators point to the potential scale of the channel. Before opening its Shop storefront, Glossier already had over 3 billion TikTok hashtag views, more than 1 million followers, and 15 million likes across its content. This built-in audience gives the brand a sizable base of high-intent users now able to convert natively within the app.

@glossier

Surprise! 🎁 We're going LIVE with @Toni Bravo to celebrate the launch of more (!!!) Glossier holiday newness! Plus, get early access to sh... See more

From a macro point of view, TikTok Shop has been the fastest growing agency RFP run by Vendry clients in 2025, with many of our largest DTC and Retail customers coming to us to find partners for scaling their TikTok Shop program.

If, like Glossier, you are looking for TikTok Shop help, feel free to chat with our team here.

The Takeaways

1)  Meet audiences in their preferred shopping environment

With their move to TikTok Shop, Glossier met their customers where they are. Leahy said, “We are seeing with how our consumers are engaging on this platform that this is where the next generation is continuing to move in beauty,” she says. “It seems like the logical and very authentic next step for us to continue [to] connect with our community where they’re shopping for beauty.”

Study where your next generation of buyers naturally converts, whether that’s TikTok, Amazon, Instagram, or retail. Even if it’s outside your brand or your team’s comfort zone, build an arm of your distribution strategy around those buying behaviors.

2) Loosen (but don’t abandon) brand control.

TikTok Shop requires a level of tolerance for imperfect, creator-led content. Rather than resisting that shift, Glossier embraced storytelling through creators who already embodied the brand’s ethos.

If you’re voyaging into new territory, get clear on what needs to remain consistent (messaging, product education, etc.) and what can flex (tone, visuals, delivery). A controlled-but-open approach can preserve brand equity while unlocking platform-native reach.

3) Guide your brand narrative with intention.

Glossier joined TikTok Shop at a moment when it needed a refresh. By entering a high-growth marketplace that caters to younger generations, the brand helped reframe its narrative to both investors and consumers. 

If your brand is entering a new chapter, consider what new strategies could signal growth, relevance, and momentum to your audiences. Brainstorm with cross-functional collaborators who may see things you don’t and can help identify opportunities to try something new.

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