Social shopping in the West: where do we stand?
Introduction to social shopping
At the end of the year, let's take a look at the social shopping phenomenon (or social commerce), which consists in buying a product or service directly via social networks. This can be done using the “shop now” button or the call to action of an advertisement that leads directly to the merchant site.
Social shopping comes to us straight from China, where it is based on platforms that integrate functionalities that combine social interactions and the shopping experience. In China, this model has become a cultural norm, profoundly influencing Western digital trends.
We are obviously thinking of the rise of short vertical videos popularized by TikTok (international version of Douyin, its Chinese counterpart), a format that is now omnipresent on platforms like Instagram.
Today, we watch videos and shoot vertically.
Likewise, the algorithm based on user interests, developed by Chinese platforms, has gradually replaced traditional subscription-based systems in the West.
It was then natural that marketing experts predicted that social shopping would become a common use among Westerners. Unfortunately, on this point, users were much more cautious.
While platforms launched social shopping features at the end of 2020, many backtracked just two years later. For example, Instagram limited the visibility of its “Shop Now” button, and TikTok delayed its TikTok Shop project.
To adapt, platforms are reviewing their strategies, offering approaches that are more in line with the expectations of Western users. The result: although social shopping is progressing, its form in the West differs from that observed in China. However, the indicators show continued growth in its adoption.
The weight of social shopping in terms of sales compared to e-commerce and its growth is increasing year by year.
Social shopping represents nearly 20% of total e-commerce sales
It is estimated that social shopping will represent 1,698 billion dollars at the end of 2024, an increase of 31% compared to 2023. Experts predict that 2025 will see a similar increase.
In addition, this method of shopping via social networks is gaining more and more weight every year. In 2024, the social commerce share represents nearly 20% of total e-commerce sales.
Between 2020 and 2024, this share also doubled!
In Europe, social commerce constitutes 4% of online sales, with a forecast of 89 billion euros in 2025, thanks to strong adoption in countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom and France.
In the United States, in 2023, 5% of online sales came from social networks, and 63% of buyers have already tested this practice.
In China, social commerce accounts for 16% of e-commerce sales, with 84% of online shoppers making purchases via social networks.
Moreover, live shopping is growing and could represent between 10% and 20% of global e-commerce sales by 2026.
Facebook remains the platform of choice for making purchases, even though TikTok is growing rapidly
According to the Future Shopper 2024 study conducted by VML group, in 2024, Facebook represented the platform offering the best social shopping experience, all regions combined, for 23% of respondents. Instagram is in second place with 19%, followed by TikTok (13%).
In France, Facebook maintains this first position with 18% of respondents saying that it is the application that currently offers them the best experience in terms of social commerce, followed by Instagram with 12%, YouTube with 7% and TikTok with 7% and TikTok, 6%
Instagram and Facebook are down by 2 and 5% respectively this year compared to 2023, while YouTube remains consistent and Twitch, TikTok and WhatsApp are all three increasing in preferences. Increase of 16% for TikTok among 16-24 year olds..
1 French person out of 2 has already purchased a product or service via a social network (Future Shopper 2024 — VML group)
GenZ and millennials buy more easily on social networks than their elders
Younger generations are much more receptive to social shopping compared to other generations.
Regarding purchases related to the end of the year holidays:
18% of millennials and Gen Z say they use social networks (like TikTok Shop or Facebook Marketplace) for holiday gift purchases. This figure falls to just 7% among Gen Xers and baby boomers.
These data highlight a marked adoption of social shopping among the younger generations, in contrast to the older ones who prefer traditional businesses or standard e-commerce sites. (HAPPY)
Moreover, in the United States, in 2024, 42% of Gen Z members plan to buy gifts directly via social networks, twice as many as the average American Internet users.Millennials follow with 26%, while only 15% of Gen X and 6% of Baby Boomers say they are interested in this type of business.
The TikTok Shop platform is growing in terms of use among Gen Z because in April 2024, more than half of the buyers on TikTok Shop in the United States belonged to this generation. (marketer)
Search within social networks, the alternative to social shopping
In the West, social shopping as it exists in China has not yet taken shape. On the other hand, we are turning to another way of buying products via social networks, through research, inspiration and product discovery.
For 26.9% of Internet users, the first reason to go on social networks is to find products to buy and for 26.7%, it is to seek inspiration to find things to do and buy them, in any country, any generation combined. (GWI) — We
TikTok is actively strengthening its position in the field of online search, positioning itself as a real competitor to Google. The platform uses this lever to develop its social shopping activity, by offering brands greater flexibility thanks to ads integrated into search results (search ads).
Thanks to its ultra-personalized algorithm, TikTok is a key tool for users when they are looking for products, restaurants or hotels. By precisely responding to the interests of its users, brands can present their offers in a targeted and relevant way.
In addition, the hypothetical takeover of TikTok by Amazon, in the context of debates over a possible TikTok ban in the United States, could transform the platform into the undisputed leader in social commerce in the West.
