From Douyin and TikTok to Facebook Marketplace and YouTube, Asia-Pacific offers several avenues for social commerce. Here, we explore the notable differences in platform preferences across countries in the region.

Preferences for social media as a shopping touchpoint vary by country

Looking at some of the biggest retail markets in the region, social media influenced shopping decisions more prominently in China and India than in Japan and South Korea, according to a Q1 2026 Boston Consulting Group (BCG) survey. Some 31% and 29% of consumers in China and India, respectively, interacted with social media as a touchpoint in their last purchase, compared with 12% in Japan and 14% in South Korea.

Social media was the leading touchpoint in China and India, but not in the other two markets (where internet research was preferred). The findings underscore substantial differences in how consumers across Asia-Pacific use social platforms during their purchase journeys.