May was a wild month for fashion accessories on TikTok Shop. At first glance, the numbers look like a typo: unit sales plummeted by nearly 20%, yet total revenue actually went up.

This isn’t a glitch in the data. It’s a seismic shift in shopper behavior. Consumers are buying fewer items, but they’re spending significantly more on each one. This unexpected curve is reshaping the entire category, from top-selling brands to winning price points.

For sellers, this is a critical moment. Let's break down what the May 2025 data really says and how your brand can adapt to win the summer season.

The Numbers Don't Lie: A Deeper Look at the Data

The story of May is a tale of contradictions. While the drop in units sold might seem alarming, the jump in Average Order Value (AOV) tells us where the real money is being made.

Units Sold: 2.4 Million (↓ 19.44% MoM)

GMV (Gross Merchandise Value): $57.5 Million (↑ 2.26% MoM)

Average Order Value: $23.60 (↑ 26.95% MoM)

The takeaway is clear: the conversation on TikTok Shop is shifting from "how cheap can I get it?" to "is this product worth it?" The dramatic 27% increase in what customers are willing to spend per order is the single most important trend from May.

Spoiler Alert: The Real Winner Wasn't the Bargain Bin

While accessories under $20 still moved the highest number of units, they didn't generate the most revenue. The real champion of May was the premium market.

According to our latest report, the top-earning price segment was clear:

"Across price bands, the biggest GMV share didn’t come from sub-$20 items. It came from the $100+ segment, which brought in $17.5M, despite contributing just 123K units."

This is a game-changer. The $100+ category is no longer a niche player; it’s a powerhouse. It proves that TikTok is a viable, high-growth channel for premium accessories, provided the branding and content strategy are on point. Shoppers are officially comfortable making high-ticket purchases on the platform.

Subcategory Spotlight: Visuals Are Driving Sales

So, what specific products are capturing this higher spending? The trend leans heavily toward items that are visually expressive and easy to showcase in short-form video.

Winners: Hair Extensions & Wigs continue their reign, commanding a massive 53.4% of the market share. Hair Accessories (+12.85% GMV) and Clothes Accessories (+9.01%) also saw impressive growth.

Decliners: Meanwhile, Watches & Jewelry both experienced a drop in GMV, possibly due to a lack of dynamic video campaigns or simple seasonality.

The top-selling products—like Sunglasses, AISI Hair Bundles, and Layered Ankle Bracelets—all share a common DNA: they are perfect for user-generated content (UGC), easy to style, and tap into seasonal moods like summer vacation.

What Smart Sellers Should Do Next

This data provides a clear roadmap for the months ahead. Here are three actionable takeaways:

1.  Focus on Perceived Value, Not Price. Stop asking how you can be cheaper. Start asking how you can make your product feel more premium. A $25 bracelet with elegant packaging and a compelling story will now outsell a generic $9 alternative.

2.  Don't Be Afraid to Go Premium. If you have a high-quality product, now is the time to lean in. Invest in polished content, partner with creators who match your brand's aesthetic, and confidently price your products to reflect their worth.

3.  Rethink Your Content Strategy. Content fatigue is real, and it's hitting LIVEs the hardest. Our data shows that even as video posts surged by 19%, sales from LIVEs actually dropped by 15%. Your resources are better spent creating authentic, high-quality short-form videos than on broadcast-style selling.

Get the Full Picture with Gloda's Market Guide

This analysis is just a glimpse into the comprehensive data from our May 2025 report. To truly get ahead, you need to see the full story.

The Gloda Market Guide offers real-time TikTok Shop analytics, allowing you to explore seller movements, deep-dive into price band strategies, and identify creator-powered trends before they explode. Stop guessing and start making data-driven decisions.

👉 Explore the Gloda Market Guide and get full access to professional TikTok analytics today!