Photoroom warns UK solopreneurs to enhance their visual strategies ahead of the post-Christmas sales rush, following weaker-than-expected Black Friday results.
While TikTok Shop UK experienced double-digit growth throughout 2024, many small sellers struggled during Black Friday 2025. Online retail sales fell 2.2% year-over-year during Black Friday week (IMRG, Nov 2025), reflecting uneven growth across the sector. Rising costs and increased competition are expected to further impact profitability this winter, with over a third of small businesses predicting reduced margins (FSB, Q4 2024).
Photoroom stresses that optimised, visually compelling product images are now essential for capitalising on TikTok Shop’s creator-led, visual-first commerce trend.
December remains one of the strongest ecommerce periods of the year. More than half of UK consumers shop between Christmas and New Year’s (Barclays, January 2024), fuelled by gift card spending, returns, exchanges, and late season browsing. For sellers who struggled over Black Friday, there is still meaningful demand to capture, but only if they adapt quickly.
Practical ways UK solopreneurs can recover momentum and increase December conversions
Improve product photos to rebuild trust
If shoppers did not convert over Black Friday, visuals were likely part of the issue. High-quality images strongly influence trust and perceived product value.
Photoroom helps sellers:
• Remove distracting backgrounds
• Fix lighting and add natural shadows
• Create studio-quality images in seconds
Case study: Cowgirl Clutch replaced homemade product shots with AI-enhanced visuals, helping drive more than 200 percent growth in sales and engagement.
Make visuals native to TikTok Shop and social commerce
TikTok Shop rewards visual storytelling instead of static catalogue-style listings.
AI enables sellers to:
• Generate lifestyle scenes that fit short-form video culture
• Add seasonal or niche-specific elements
• Build a consistent look across storefronts and social feeds
Case study: The 1994 Candle Co. used Photoroom to create a unified aesthetic, driving more growth in one year than the previous two combined.
Automate editing to list more products, faster
December moves quickly, and manual editing slows down sellers.
AI supports workflow speed by enabling:
• Batch editing for large product sets
• Instant resizing for TikTok Shop, Shopify, and Instagram
• Fast creation of design variations for testing
Case study: Vintage reseller Brooke Pickel replaced hours of editing with one-tap workflows, enabling more listings, more views, and more conversions.
Optimise for mobile shoppers who dominate holiday buying
Mobile devices now account for an estimated 60–70% of ecommerce site visits in the UK (SQ Magazine, Mobile Ecommerce Statistics, 2024).
AI helps sellers:
• Centre and sharpen product images
• Create vertical formats for TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest
• Automatically meet Amazon, Etsy, and marketplace standards
Scale promotional content across December
Late-season shoppers rely heavily on fast visual inspiration.
AI allows solopreneurs to:
• Create promo graphics in minutes
• Test new styles and creative variations
• Personalise visuals for loyal customers
• Turn customer photos into branded social proof
Case study: Creator Clay Dazing increased engagement simply by posting bold, AI-enhanced visuals.
A majority of UK consumers say they try to support small businesses during the holidays (YouGov, December 2024). But expectations are high: shoppers want professional visuals, fast updates, and consistent presentation.
Photoroom believes solopreneurs who combine authenticity with AI-powered execution can still recover from a slow Black Friday and outperform larger competitors during the final weeks of the season.
