Almost half of Gen Z and millennials have previously bought an item they’ve seen on a social media app or during a livestream. That’s according to new research from the Influencer Marketing Factory.
Social commerce is a convenient way to shop directly from within a social media app.
The number of US social commerce shoppers grew 25% in 2020 and is expected to grow another 13% this year.
Social commerce sales are expected to rise some 35% in 2021, taking a small share of overall eCommerce sales at 4.3%.
Around 53% of respondents said they liked to research the products they bought online carefully before making a purchase.
Another 12% said they bought something after seeing it on social media via an influencer post or live streaming.
Some 61% said they preferred the “Add to Cart” aspect of shopping on social media while 39% still prefer a redirect to a third-party website.
Based on the answers of 350 American Gen Z and millennial shoppers, the latest survey found that 60% of shoppers purchased items after seeing influencer content online while 46% admit to making a social media purchase at least once a month.
Among the top items bought on social channels are apparel (41%) and beauty products (23%), follows by technology and home products.
Younger generations clearly prefer online shopping.
And although shopping on social apps is convenient, Gen Z likes to save a specific item first and then research the brand and product before buying a product.
When it comes to preferred platforms, Instagram clearly outscored TikTok in terms of convenience.
