Why We’re Expanding Beyond Whatnot
We’ve only been on Whatnot since April, but the growth has been fast. In just a few months, Whatnot has already become a seven-figure channel for us. That kind of scale forces you to think bigger.
The immediate opportunity is obvious: keep scaling Whatnot. But once you start adding staff, the question shifts. It’s not just adding another show. It’s about justifying more hosts, more show runners, more backend support… building a real team around live selling.
By end of September, we’ll be pretty close to single-channel saturation on Whatnot. To keep scaling, we’ll launch additional channels inside Whatnot itself. Each new channel requires more staff. That’s where testing other platforms like TikTok Shop becomes interesting. If we can create parallel live selling opportunities, we can move faster on full-time hiring and give our team multiple stages to run shows on.
The goal isn’t just to scale Whatnot. The goal is to scale live shopping as a whole.
The Dream of Multi-Platform Selling
The dream scenario is running multiple platforms at the same time. Same SKUs, same hype, different audiences.
We already have the technology in place to manage inventory and push listings out to different sales channels. That’s not the hurdle.
The real gap is mechanics. Whatnot is primarily auction-driven. TikTok Shop Live, at least for now, is buy-it-now. Until TikTok unlocks auctions for us, it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison. That makes early test results harder to stack against Whatnot, but it also means once auctions go live, we’ll finally see the true potential of TikTok Shop as a second channel.
Why TikTok Shop Was the Next Step
TikTok already works for us in other ways. Organic videos and creator collaborations have sold products. TikTok Shop has driven some sales. We have over a million followers on the platform. The gap was live selling.
There’s an auction feature on TikTok Shop, which matters because auctions are what drive momentum for us on Whatnot. The catch is that you can’t access auctions immediately. TikTok requires you to run a set number of live shows before it unlocks.
So we ran our first test.
Our First TikTok Shop Live Show
Show Setup
Brandon hosted while Cameron supported from the backend. We planned a 90-minute show and offered 15 SKUs we believed would perform well.
Without auctions, the options were limited-time flash sales or full-price listings. We chose flash sales tied to the length of the show.
The Numbers
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3.4k views
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10.7k likes
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27 new followers
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$272.91 GMV
This is the snapshot straight from TikTok’s dashboard.
Audience Insights
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68% male, 31% female
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59% aged 35+, 26% aged 25–34, 15% aged 18–24
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92% U.S.-based viewers
Traffic Sources
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74% from Live Recommendations
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19% from Following Feed
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6% from Other
The positive here is that TikTok pushed most of the traffic to us. That means you don’t need a huge following to get people into your show. BUT with over a million followers, was slightly disappointed to not be able to move the needle with it.
Comparing TikTok Shop vs Whatnot
Engagement looked solid. 3.4k views and 10.7k likes in an hour and a half is plenty of attention.
Revenue was not. $272.91 in GMV is garbage compared to Whatnot. With the same time and two people, a Whatnot show would easily 5x to 15x that number. If we can’t consistently 5x or better on TikTok Shop, it won’t be worth the effort.
The missing piece is auctions. Auctions create urgency, speed, and buyer-to-buyer competition. Without them, TikTok Live feels more like a static flash sale than a live selling experience.
AOV Reality Check: TikTok Shop vs Whatnot
From our Whatnot Part 1 data:
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TikTok Shop AOV: ~$20
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Whatnot AOV: $88
That gap is massive. It’s not just about one test. This is about buyer behavior. Whatnot buyers act like our subscription members: higher intent, higher AOV, repeat purchases. TikTok’s early buyers look more like impulse shoppers with low spend.
The big question is whether TikTok’s reach can make up for that difference in volume. If TikTok can deliver enough buyers, maybe the lower AOV balances out. If not, TikTok becomes more of a top-of-funnel channel while Whatnot stays the heavy revenue driver.
Are Our Buyers Even On TikTok In Meaningful Numbers?
Another concern is buyer alignment. On Whatnot, the audience feels like our people. They spend like our members and engage at a deeper level. On TikTok, there’s no doubt our people are there doom-scrolling. The question is whether they’re present in large enough numbers, and whether they’re willing to engage with us the same way they do on Whatnot.
This first test suggests that TikTok has attention but not necessarily intent. Whether auctions can shift that dynamic is what we need to find out next.
What We Learned From Test 1
TikTok will feed you traffic. That’s good.
Engagement is easy to generate. Also good.
Revenue is weak without auctions. Not good.
The AOV gap between TikTok and Whatnot is a red flag.
The Road Ahead
In September, we’ll run more shows with the goal of unlocking auctions. That’s the first real milestone. Once auctions are enabled, we’ll retest with:
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Higher-velocity SKUs with clear price ladders
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Show structures that create urgency
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Incentives for repeat buyers inside a single stream
If auctions don’t meaningfully improve AOV and GMV, TikTok will stay secondary to Whatnot. At that point, we’ll treat it as a feeder channel rather than a primary revenue driver.
Final Thoughts
TikTok Shop Live won’t replace Whatnot for us right now. But it’s worth testing because the reach is real and TikTok does put sellers in front of new audiences.
The entire case for TikTok Live hinges on auctions. If auctions get us closer to Whatnot’s $88 AOV, or at least far north of $20 with enough volume, TikTok might become a strong second channel. If not, we’ll call it for what it is.
This is Part 1. Just like with Whatnot, we’ll keep sharing the real numbers and the real story as it happens.
FAQs
What is TikTok Shop Live?
It’s TikTok’s live selling feature where viewers can purchase products during a stream.
How do you unlock auctions on TikTok Shop?
By running several live shows before TikTok enables the auction feature.
Is TikTok Shop better than Whatnot for us right now?
No. Engagement is higher on TikTok, but revenue and AOV are far below Whatnot.
What’s the biggest challenge with multi-platform live selling?
Not technology. We have that covered. The hurdle is that Whatnot is built on auctions and TikTok Shop is buy-it-now until auctions unlock.
How do you improve TikTok Shop results fast?
Unlock auctions, structure shows with urgency, and lead with proven SKUs.
What metrics matter most when testing TikTok Shop Live?
GMV, AOV, conversion rate, and staffing efficiency. Views and likes matter less if revenue doesn’t scale.
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