The maker of Imperial Leather and Sanctuary Spa has said reaching shoppers on platforms such as TikTok Shop was as important as Tesco, as the 142-year-old company races to compete with a growing group of social media-savvy brands.
PZ Cussons, the consumer goods giant founded in 1884 and which is behind a range of beauty, hygiene and baby products, said it had been investing more in innovation and development of its brands.
CEO Jonathan Myers said the company has to “fight every day to win every purchase.”
“There is barely a store in the country that sells a washing and bathing product that doesn't sell a PZ Cussons product,” he told the Press Association.
But he said the company had been trying to stay ahead of online shopping trends that many newer brands are taking advantage of.
“If you look at the way most insurgent brands reach, it's through social media, and that gets confused with e-commerce platforms, for example TikTok Shop,” he said.
“It's about making sure we're present, that we're growing quickly and that we're stealing our share of shopping there, just like we would do with a Tesco Express down the road.”
TikTok Shop, the e-commerce arm of the video-sharing social media platform where users can buy and sell products, has grown rapidly in recent years.
Major retailers such as Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury's now sell products on the market alongside thousands of smaller businesses and brands.
TikTok Shop recently said it had become the UK's fourth-largest beauty retailer, according to data from NielsenIQ, while beauty sales on the platform soared 60% year-on-year in 2025 driven by trends such as Korean skincare.
Meanwhile, PZ Cussons' Myers highlighted the company's activity in Indonesia, where it has been experimenting with new sales tactics, including a live streaming channel from its factory.
He said: “We have three shifts of live streamers driving demand for our brands, which is then met through marketplaces like TikTok Shop and delivered on the back of a moped.”
TikTok sales in Indonesia have increased more than 600%, where PZ Cussons currently operates a TikTok store.
The chief executive said he could “definitely see the rise of fast commerce” in urban areas of the UK, accelerated by the “blurring” of social media and shopping channels.
Myers stressed that there was no room for “complacency” and added: “Competition is good because it keeps us on our toes.”
