Brandon Hurst, known online as Brandon the Plant Guy, has transformed his small plant-selling venture into a thriving business largely through exposure gained on TikTok. Starting in 2023 with modest expectations to sell around 30 plants during a TikTok Live session, Hurst ultimately sold 250. Now, operating from a 3,000-square-foot greenhouse in Sylmar, California, he sells up to 5,000 plants weekly and employs 13 staff members. Hurst credits TikTok for turning his business around and preventing him from returning to a previous desk job.
Hurst is among approximately 920,000 California-based businesses that utilize TikTok to expand their customer base and build their brands, according to recent data from consulting firm PF Global. The report, commissioned by TikTok, estimates that the platform contributed $12 billion in advertising and merchandise sales within California in 2025 and supported 52,000 jobs across the state. Nationwide, TikTok-fueled economic activity generated $81 billion for around 8.5 million U.S. businesses last year.
The surge in commerce on TikTok reflects broader trends in online shopping, where more small businesses and consumers are leveraging social media platforms for transactions. Nicole Nason, TikTok’s head of U.S. public policy, stated that the platform aims to enable American culture, creators, and enterprises to reach global audiences.
TikTok's efforts to highlight its economic impact come amid significant changes in its U.S. ownership structure. In January, the app became a joint venture with three managing investors—Silver Lake, Oracle, and Emirati firm MGX—each holding 15%, while ByteDance, its Chinese parent company, retains a 19.9% stake. This restructuring followed mounting U.S. government pressure for ByteDance to divest its U.S. operations due to national security concerns. Additionally, TikTok resolved a $400 million lawsuit with the U.S. Department of Justice in April, ending allegations that the company violated children’s privacy laws.
With its U.S. headquarters in Culver City and a workforce in the hundreds, TikTok is primarily known for its viral short-form vertical videos but has evolved into a crucial marketing tool for many businesses. Features such as TikTok Live allow companies to host real-time shopping events, while TikTok Shop offers a direct-to-consumer marketplace, further integrating commerce into the platform.
PF Global’s findings are based on surveys of over 11,000 adults and 5,000 businesses in the U.S., supplemented by case studies and interviews with more than 600 participants nationwide. The research combined survey responses with government statistics and TikTok’s internal data. The consulting firm is also conducting similar economic impact assessments in the U.K. and several European countries.
Neil Ross, a partner at PF Global, noted that TikTok users globally often take action after viewing content on the platform, using it as a "digital front door" for discovering where to shop, dine, or explore. The U.S. report highlights that 27 million Americans visited an independent shop, cafe, or restaurant for the first time after seeing it featured on TikTok.
TikTok traces its origins to Musical.ly, a 2014 app launched in Shanghai, and Douyin, introduced by ByteDance in 2016 for the Chinese market. ByteDance acquired Musical.ly in 2017 and merged it with Douyin to create TikTok, which quickly gained traction through a predictive algorithm and viral trends. Today, the app boasts 200 million monthly users in the United States.
Adam Presser, TikTok’s chief executive, emphasized the platform’s role in supporting American entrepreneurs, helping them grow, attract customers, and create jobs nationwide.