Social Shopping Is on the Rise—and It’s Not Just Gen Z

Holding people back from purchasing on social are reasons like a fear of scams, lack of trust, lack of data safety, uncertainty of product quality, or false reviews. Many of those concerns can be addressed with verified shops, owned pages, or trusted partners, noted Wake.

And while less than 25% of respondents said they trust social media platforms, over 75% said they still use them.

Social shoppers also said they see social platforms as an opportunity to both support small businesses and buy brand-name items. Over half of social shoppers said their purchases were brand-name products, with Millennials as most likely to buy those items.

Of all respondents, not just those who had purchased via social commerce, 59% said they saw social shopping as an opportunity to support small businesses. That rises to 66% in social shoppers.

While apparel, personal care, beauty, and electronics are the most popular product categories among social shoppers, that differs by age. Among Gen Z, the top categories were apparel, personal care, and beauty; among Millennials, it was apparel, electronics, and personal care; and among Gen X, it was apparel, beauty, and then personal care.