British business owner turns to TikTok for help after being ‘crippled’ by shoplifters

A British store owner who was left crippled by constant shoplifting and the cost of living crisis has turned to TikTok to save his business.

Jordan Trainer has gone from earning £800 to £1,600 a week after a plea for help on social media sparked a savvy idea.

The 25-year-old’s shop, Plantique in Glasgow, was being targeted by two to three shoplifters a day, which cost him thousands over the year.

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Meanwhile, the cost of living crisis saw sales drop.

Jordan, who has been selling plants since he was just 14 years old, even sold his car in a desperate bid to get more capital for the shop.

At his wits’ end, he decided to try a last-ditch effort to rescue his business.

Jordan launched a GoFundMe and shared it on TikTok – getting over 31,000 views and raising £3,870 in total.

He said the money would be used to invest in CCTV, fix the broken toilet in the shop and finally provide the business with working heating.

The retailer, who works alone, also believes that the business is particularly vulnerable to shoplifting because he is the only employee.

“In the last few years, all aspects of my running costs have increased,” Jordan told What’s The Jam.

“My council rates bill went from 100% relief to only 50% relief in 2025.

“My energy, water and insurance have all increased and my plants’ costs have increased around 10%.

“As a result, I’ve had to increase my own prices to the consumer, which is the only way I’ve found to make it manageable and absorb the extra charges.

“We’ve been hit hard with rising costs and shoplifting which is at the highest rate I’ve ever experienced in my five years of trading.

“This has had a devastating impact on my own business and keeping my shop open sadly as I can’t afford to keep losing stock.

“My CCTV [system] has been fitted and I’m getting more cameras later this month to provide extra security.

“I’m also saving to get a better alarm system installed.

“There’s been work done to the bathroom and the back of the shop to help get it back to working order again, which has been great.

“[The money raised] has helped me get the ball rolling.

“I haven’t hired anyone else yet, but once I get everything finished, I’ll be in a better position to do so.”

Jordan, who only makes £200 per day in physical sales, says the boost in income on TikTok has turned his once “failing” business around.

He said: “The past few years have been really difficult for all small businesses and retail shops, like myself.

“Struggling financially to keep my business running and not being able to pay myself a wage was very tough.

“But I’ve somehow managed to keep going and although it’s still very difficult, I’m positive about the future of my small business.

“I’ve learnt that you have to adapt and change constantly, the ones that don’t keep up tend to disappear quickly.

“At first, I only watched TikTok for fun – but I stumbled across more and more people using the platform to sell and promote their own business.

“The hardest part was having the confidence to actually put myself out there but I knew it would really help to save my business.

“When I live stream, going QVC style, I sell plant bundles and show people around the shop.

“I can make the same amount by live streaming for a few hours at night than I would do a full day’s work in my shop, which I think is incredible.

“I sell directly through the website and people watching the live could go on and order directly from me.

“This saves fees and commissions charged by other platforms.

“I get multiple people coming into my shop daily telling me they’ve seen my videos or livestreams and wanted to visit.

“Being able to sell my plants to a UK-wide audience rather than just a local area has also helped me to keep my business running.”

Now, he live streams a few nights a week.

Jordan, although in favour of going fully digital, still loves having his physical store, as it was always a dream of his.

He says it’s vital that high street shops stay open.

He added: “I love having a place of work and being able to interact with customers.

“It’s also turned into a ‘destination’ for people to enjoy plants and meet like-minded people.

“We need to keep shops on the high street, as I think it would be a boring place without independent shops.

“Some people don’t have access to the internet as well, which is another reason to shop locally if you can.

“We’re in very difficult financial times at the moment, though, and for retail, I don’t think footfall is enough to sustain most physical shops.

“We have to branch out and join platforms like TikTok to give us the best chance of survival.

“I’ve considered closing down many times, but something keeps me going.

“When you have a passion for something, it keeps you going, which is why I believe if you do start a business and money is your top or only priority it won’t last.

“You have to love what you do and push through difficult times.

“I could easily close down, start a new job, work for another company and probably make more money but it wouldn’t make me happy.

“I really enjoy being an entrepreneur and everything that comes with it.”

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