Why Americans love shopping via social media

Americans’ shopping habits have changed over the years and today social media is the preferred place for many people to shop. Let’s face it: shopping on social media itself is usually a crime of opportunity. You’re leisurely scrolling around and suddenly an ad pops up for something you didn’t know you needed and the next thing you know, you’re already paying!

Accordingly speakerYou’re not alone! A new survey shows that 68% of Americans who use social media have shopped through their feeds. Based on their social media shopping habits, they have the potential to spend more than $59 billion.

The survey of 2,000 US adult shops on social media:

• The average shopper would spend up to $262 on a single item found on social media.
• The platforms they regularly use for online shopping include Facebook (85%), Instagram (49%) and TikTok (38%).
• So why do people prefer to use social media to shop? Respondents say it’s easier or more convenient (33%), they already use social media regularly (32%), they can see exactly how to use products (30%), they find better deals on social media (26%) and it’s easier to search than in a physical store (20%).
• Almost three quarters (72%) of purchases via social media are unplanned and spontaneous.
• The most popular items people buy on platforms are clothing (52%), gifts (33%), shoes and accessories (33%), beauty products (30%) and electronics (28%).
• Overall, 62% say they are generally satisfied with their social media purchases, and 68% describe their average experience as positive.
• Nearly half (47%) say they would be likely to buy something they saw on social media if they saw others using it, and 20% admit they experienced FOMO (fear of horror) when seeing others use advertised items.
• Shoppers use their feeds to read product reviews (22%), learn about products (20%), or get inspiration for using products (15%).
• Just over half (53%) would be less likely to buy a product with negative reviews.
• While 18% of respondents say they don’t like advertising on social media, 66% say it helps them find new products and 35% like advertising because it shows what’s trending.

LauRen Merola Strager is a former NFL and NBA cheerleader turned radio host. LauRen is a former Miss Pennsylvania USA and a proud wife and mother of two. She is the owner and editor-in-chief of her fashion and lifestyle blog, All Of The F-Words, and an advocate for the autism community. You can read all about LauRen’s thoughts on motherhood, beauty pageants, and everyday life in her online content.