TikTok Shop and WhatNot battle for top live-auction creators as format booms

Platforms including WhatNot and TikTok Shop are competing fiercely to retain top creators who run live online auctions, a format that has become one of the hottest trends in e-commerce. Creators are turning seconds-long bidding battles into addictive entertainment, drawing millions of viewers. The platforms are offering increasingly generous deals to keep their most popular sellers.