MAC Cosmetics is taking big risks with its UK business strategy in 2026, as the 42-year-old heritage player pivots to new arenas and doubles down on hero franchises to ensure it remains relevant and conversation-worthy.
The biggest part of the Estée Lauder Companies (ELC)-owned legacy brand’s plan this year is combining social discovery with in-store retail in “new ways” to meet consumers in all the spaces they shop, debuting on social selling platform TikTok Shop UK for the first time this month.
It is a huge pivot for the make-up giant, which usually sells via more traditional channels, but the plan is already paying off – with MAC Cosmetics recording more sales on day one of its debut on TikTok Shop UK (2 April) than any beauty brand launch in the category's history.
In its first seven days on the platform, MAC Cosmetics drove 10 million impressions and had more than 2,000 videos created for it, according to data provided by TikTok Shop UK, while the brand’s pre-launch live stream received more than half-a-million likes in just two hours.
Although MAC Cosmetics has its own ecommerce site, 16 freestanding UK stores and concessions in 29 UK retail doors, this social commerce pivot makes sense for firming up the business, especially as one beauty product is sold every second on TikTok Shop UK.
TikTok Shop has even just been named the number two online beauty retailer in the UK by consumer intelligence company Nielsen IQ, showcasing just how much this platform cannot be ignored.
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But MAC Cosmetics' move into TikTok Shop is anything but ordinary, with the brand using the platform for consumer discovery that delivers social selling, but also drives footfall to its retail partners and freestanding stores, blending the two worlds rather than having them compete.
“It is not about bricks-and-mortar or digital separately, it is about this holistic view – being exactly where we should be for our consumer, and showing up where it matters to them,” says Sara Staniford, VP & General Manager, Makeup & Artistry Cluster, at ELC UK & Ireland, which comprises MAC Cosmetics, Bobbi Brown and Too Faced.
“We are pivoting towards TikTok Shop UK because we are seeing that sort of shopping commerce essentially funnel, and so we know that we need to be at the forefront of these things.
“More than 70% of people who see something on TikTok or TikTok Shop take an offline action because of it, and this is such a telling stat.
“MAC Cosmetics has been around for 40 years and this is not something you can just create overnight, but we also know the landscape is changing and things are ever-evolving, including the way that people shop, and so that is why we have pivoted.”
This business move also builds on MAC Cosmetics’ “strong early momentum” on TikTok Shop in the US, where the brand claims it was among the fastest-growing beauty and personal care brands on the platform in 2025.
MAC Cosmetics has pivoted to TikTok Shop UK to fuel its growth
How MAC Cosmetics is making TikTok Shop UK align with its core ethos
MAC Cosmetics’ new discovery commerce model on TikTok Shop UK combines live broadcasts on the platform with bricks-and-mortar – with products available to purchase directly through TikTok Shop, but brought to life via live streams hosted by the brand’s very own MUAs in-store.
Every MAC Cosmetics employee has the opportunity to opt in as an affiliate and sell on the platform, with dedicated training delivered by the company in partnership with TikTok Shop.
They can host live tutorials, demonstrations and interactive sessions directly from MAC Cosmetics’ standalone retail spaces.
However, the make-up giant will not be discounting its prices on the platform, even though
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