Have you ever bought anything on TikTok? If you have, you’re not alone. According to a new study of 1,000 UK shoppers, the short form video platform has now overtaken Instagram and Facebook as the UK’s most shopped on social media channel.
The research, commissioned by the Retail Technology Show, showed that the average British consumer now makes ten purchases on the platform, compared to nine on both Facebook and Instagram.
For Gen Z consumers – who make up an estimated 60% of the channel’s users – this rises to 19 purchases a year.
However, while TikTok was the most popular purchasing platform for the younger demographic, 42% had interacted with the Metaverse. Gen Z also make 17 purchases each year on the immersive online gaming platform Roblox.
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“Social media’s star has been rising for some time as both a viable and lucrative commerce platform for retailers. However, as this sales channel matures and adoption among shoppers continues to grow, we’re now seeing a shake up of the status quo,” said Retail Technology Show event director Matt Bradley.
“With new platforms and new evolutions of social commerce itself, such as the Metaverse, becoming more mainstream, shoppers are migrating towards these new formats, with TikTok now leading the way as the most shopped social network,” he continued.
The video-focused social media platform first started allowing live shopping and entertainment in December 2021, allowing consumers to buy products directly on the platform and tap into the social shopping boom.
The evolving nature of the online shopping landscape will be a key theme at this year’s Retail Technology Show event which will take place at Olympia, London this April.
