L. Yltävä
Research expert
Social commerce in the United States - statistics & facts
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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 climbed in the United States over the past years. Between 2023 and 2025, U.S. social shoppers escalated from roughly 96 million to around 104 million.
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.
Social commerce is a growing industry in the United States. Forecasts suggest that the Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) of social commerce would hit 150 billion U.S. dollars by 2028, an increase of approximately 45 billion compared to 2025.
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. A survey in the United States revealed that about half of social media users between 18 and 44 years old had made at least one purchase through this channel. In 2024, TikTok and YouTube were the leading platforms for social commerce across almost all generational cohorts to research products before making big purchases.Social commerce is a growing industry in the United States. Forecasts suggest that the Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) of social commerce would hit 150 billion U.S. dollars by 2028, an increase of approximately 45 billion compared to 2025.
