Nearly half of younger shoppers have used TikTok Shop in the past three months, according to new research from Savvy, featured on BBC News, as social commerce raises expectations of what online shopping should feel like.
Savvy’s latest research, based on 1,005 UK shoppers, found that 47% of Gen Y and Z shoppers have used TikTok Shop to browse or buy products in the past three months, compared with 21% of all shoppers.
Brand and retailer websites remain the most-used online shopping channel, used by 54% of Gen Y/Z shoppers and 52% of all shoppers. However, the findings suggest social platforms are now operating close to conventional ecommerce for younger consumers – and changing what they expect from digital retail.
From convenience to discovery
Since the birth of online shopping, ecommerce has offered shoppers range, convenience and practicality – but it has often lacked the excitement and theatre of physical retail. Social commerce is starting to change that.
It brings together discovery, entertainment, social proof and instant purchase in a way that makes traditional ecommerce feel increasingly functional by comparison.
For retailers, the challenge is not about whether to sell through TikTok Shop. It is how to make every channel – websites, apps and stores – feel more engaging, responsive and confidence-building.
Social media is shaping purchase decisions
Savvy’s research shows that social platforms are playing an increasingly significant role before purchase. Among Gen Y/Z shoppers, 64% have watched product reviews or recommendations on social media in the past month, 49% have clicked links to view products featured in posts or videos, and 36% have saved or bookmarked products to look at later.
While social shopping opportunity is traditionally associated with fashion and beauty, category relevance is broadening. While 50% of Gen Y/Z shoppers would consider buying clothing or footwear through platforms such as TikTok Shop or Instagram Shop, and 38% would consider beauty or skincare, consideration now extends into everyday categories including household and kitchen items, cleaning and laundry, gadgets and electronics, and food and snacks.
The psychology behind social commerce
Live shopping is accelerating the shift from static ecommerce to more interactive retail experiences. Savvy’s Shopper Panel found that 57% of Gen Y/Z shoppers enjoy watching live shopping events such as TikTok Live, while 66% said seeing products sell out or go viral makes them more likely to buy.
Savvy said this taps into the psychology of shopper decision-making, including social proof, fear of missing out and repeated exposure to products through creators, reviews and viral content.
Social commerce works because it mirrors how shoppers actually build confidence. They see the product demonstrated, hear from other customers, watch creators explain it and see whether it is gaining momentum. That is a very different experience from searching a product grid or reading a static product description.
Turning online trends into retail experiences
The retailers that come out on top will be those that turn viral moments into real-world shopping experiences. Consumers are already discovering what they want on social media – now they expect retailers to make finding and buying those products effortless, wherever they shop.
We’re already seeing this start to happen in retail – at Boots, for example, where it highlights TikTok-trending products in store – but we expect to see a lot more of these types of retail activations as social commerce grows further.
As social shopping commerce gathers pace, the connected retail experience will quickly shift from competitive advantage to customer expectation.
Press coverage
‘I made £100,000 of TikTok sales in one day’: The business of live shopping
TikTok psychology: Why social commerce feels irresistible to Gen Z shoppers
Social commerce reshapes young consumers’ shopping journeys as e-commerce sites struggle to keep up
TikTok Shop reshaping online shopping as retailers race to keep up