Social commerce blends social media engagement with ecommerce, allowing consumers to discover and purchase products without leaving their favorite platforms. As TikTok Shop gains ground and influencer marketing matures into a performance channel, brands are rethinking where and how they reach shoppers. This FAQ covers the platforms, demographics, and strategies shaping social commerce in 2026.

What is social commerce?

Social commerce is the integration of ecommerce functionality into social media platforms, enabling consumers to browse, discover, and purchase products directly within apps like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Unlike traditional ecommerce where shoppers arrive with purchase intent, social commerce thrives on discovery, inspiration, and impulse. Users encounter products through creator content, algorithm-driven feeds, and livestream shopping, then complete transactions without switching to a retailer's website.

The model benefits both consumers and brands. Shoppers enjoy a frictionless path from discovery to checkout. Marketers gain access to highly engaged audiences and more transparent attribution, connecting ad exposure directly to sales within a closed ecosystem.

Why are brands investing in social commerce?

Several factors are accelerating brand investment in social commerce:

• Shifting discovery behavior. 73% of US Gen Zers say social media is their main source for learning about new products, according to Salsify. Brands that ignore social platforms risk losing visibility during the critical discovery phase.
• Creator economy growth. Social media creator revenue will increase 16.2% this year to $20.6 billion, EMARKETER forecasts.
• Influencer effectiveness. 58% of consumers over 18 have purchased products because of an influencer endorsement, per the National Advertising Division of BBB National Programs.
• Platform investment. Major platforms continue to add shopping features, livestream capabilities, and creator monetization tools that make in-app commerce more seamless.

Which social platforms drive the most social commerce sales?

Facebook leads in total US social buyers, but TikTok Shop is growing fastest and will surpass major retailers in ecommerce sales by 2026, EMARKETER forecasts.

• TikTok Shop will reach $23.41 billion in US ecommerce sales in 2026, a 48% increase year-over-year, per EMARKETER. That would give TikTok Shop a larger US ecommerce business than Target, Costco, Best Buy, or Kroger. TikTok's algorithm has made it a highly effective product discovery and recommendation engine.
• Facebook maintains the largest social buyer base through Facebook Marketplace and Facebook Shops, which enable businesses to create digital storefronts with in-app checkout.
• Instagram Shopping allows brands to tag products in posts, stories, and Reels. Reels video views for luxury brands grew 234% in Q2 2025, according to EMARKETER Industry KPIs, as some brands shift content distribution from TikTok.

What demographics are driving social commerce adoption?

Younger consumers drive social commerce adoption, though the gap with older generations is narrowing.

One-third of adults ages 18 to 34 have made a purchase on social media, compared with 23% of 35- to 54-year-olds and 13% of adults between 55 and 65, according to a September 2025 survey by Bizrate Insights for EMARKETER.

Gen Z stands out for using social media as a primary product discovery tool. 73% of US Gen Zers say social media is their main source for learning about new products, per Salsify. By contrast, 61% of Gen Xers discover products while browsing in physical retail stores.

Beauty, cosmetics, and apparel perform particularly well on social commerce platforms, driven by the enduring popularity of "get ready with me" videos and shopping haul content among younger audiences.

How does TikTok Shop compare to other social commerce platforms?

TikTok Shop officially launched in September 2023 and is the fastest-growing social commerce platform in the US, despite having fewer total social buyers than Facebook.Its algorithm-driven feed excels at product discovery and impulse purchases, particularly for low-price, trend-driven items promoted by creators.

During Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025, TikTok Shop generated over $500 million in sales across four days, with a nearly 50% year-over-year increase in shoppers making a purchase. Shoppers tuned into over 760,000 livestream sessions, resulting in 1.6 billion views.

TikTok's US operations are now majority-owned by American investors: Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX hold a combined 50% stake, with ByteDance retaining 19.9%. This restructuring brings greater operational stability for advertisers after years of ban-related uncertainty.

What challenges do consumers face with social commerce?

Consumer trust remains a significant barrier to social commerce adoption.

• Influencer skepticism. 26% of consumers don't trust influencer marketing, more than double the 11% who distrust advertising overall, per the National Advertising Division.
• Disclosure concerns. 64% of consumers distrust influencers who don't disclose their relationship with brands.
• Platform preferences. Many younger consumers still prefer completing purchases through established retailers that handle transactions, shipping, and delivery rather than using in-app checkout tools.

These trust gaps create opportunities for brands that prioritize transparency, authentic creator partnerships, and seamless fulfillment experiences.

How effective is influencer marketing for social commerce?

Influencer marketing drives measurable sales, but effectiveness depends on transparency and authenticity.

58% of consumers over 18 have purchased products because of an influencer endorsement, per the National Advertising Division. Influencer marketing has evolved from an awareness tactic into a full-funnel performance channel, with platforms like Later processing $2.4 billion in annualized gross merchandise value through creator-led commerce.

The most effective partnerships share common traits:

• Transparency. Consumers trust influencers who clearly disclose brand relationships.
• Authenticity. Partnering with creators who genuinely use and advocate for products outperforms chasing follower counts.
• Measurement. Modern creator platforms can attribute every post to revenues at the SKU level, enabling campaign optimization in real time.

However, over 50% of marketers spend only 30 minutes or less vetting a single influencer, per EMARKETER and Viral Nation research. Insufficient vetting exposes brands to reputational risk.

How should marketers allocate budget to social commerce in 2026?

Marketers should treat social commerce as a distinct channel requiring dedicated investment, not an extension of traditional ecommerce or social media advertising.

1. Start where your audience already shops. If targeting Gen Z or millennials, TikTok Shop and Instagram deserve priority.
2. Invest in creator partnerships as a performance channel. Choose platforms that tie creator content to SKU-level sales attribution.
3. Build measurement into every brief. Brands that cannot connect creator posts to revenue risk wasting budget. Demand attribution capabilities from platform partners.
4. Test livestream commerce selectively. TikTok livestreams drove 84% year-over-year sales growth for participating brands during BFCM 2025, but the format requires significant creator talent and production investment.

We prepared this article with the assistance of generative AI tools and stand behind its accuracy, quality, and originality.

EMARKETER forecast data was current at publication and may have changed. EMARKETER clients have access to up-to-date forecast data. To explore EMARKETER solutions, click here.