Stephanie Chevalier
E-commerce research and editorial expert
Social commerce in the United States - statistics & facts
Social networks have transformed multiple aspects of people's daily lives, including how they spend and make money. When social media meets e-commerce, social commerce is born. While the Asia-Pacific region pioneered the concept, its adoption has soared in the United States over the past years. Between 2021 and 2023, U.S. social shoppers escalated from roughly 97 million to nearly 107 million. Forecasts suggest that the Gross Merchandise Value of social commerce would border 150 billion U.S. dollars by 2028, almost twice the estimated value for 2024.
Social media advertising and influencer marketing campaigns remain essential for targeting and engaging the right audience. However, achieving conversions through these means has become increasingly challenging. As a result, an increasing number of brands and retailers are now providing the option to make purchases directly from their social media profiles, eliminating the need for customers to navigate away for transactions.
The ability of social media algorithms to discern user preferences and provide personalized recommendations has been vital to winning over buyers in this age range. For many Gen Z and millennials, social platforms have become a go-to resource for product search and discovery. So much so that most U.S. shoppers surveyed in both age groups ultimately purchased a product after seeing it on social media.
Harnessing the power of social media
Businesses have traditionally used social media as a marketing tool to build their brand, increase their visibility, and connect with current and potential customers. Social commerce has piqued the interest of companies of all sizes, but it has proven to be a game changer for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Given its massive reach and potential for monetization, these businesses have doubled their efforts to leverage social media for advertising their products and services.Social media advertising and influencer marketing campaigns remain essential for targeting and engaging the right audience. However, achieving conversions through these means has become increasingly challenging. As a result, an increasing number of brands and retailers are now providing the option to make purchases directly from their social media profiles, eliminating the need for customers to navigate away for transactions.
Gen Z and millennials, drivers of social commerce
The leap to buy from these platforms has been driven primarily by newer generations, namely Gen Z and millennials. During a 2022 survey in the United States, about half of social media users between 18 and 41 years old had made at least one purchase through this channel in the previous year. As of 2023, Facebook and Instagram were the leading platforms for social commerce across all generational cohorts.The ability of social media algorithms to discern user preferences and provide personalized recommendations has been vital to winning over buyers in this age range. For many Gen Z and millennials, social platforms have become a go-to resource for product search and discovery. So much so that most U.S. shoppers surveyed in both age groups ultimately purchased a product after seeing it on social media.
