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What is social commerce? Trends and insights for 2026
Social commerce isn't just a trend, it's a global shift in how people buy. Stay ahead with insights from 2025.
Social commerce has transformed how people discover and buy products online.
From TikTok shop to social storefronts, it’s reshaped consumer behaviour and brand strategies.
Social commerce’s global value is projected to exceed over $17 trillion by 2033. Today, 30% of Australians have used social media as a shopping channel. Despite this, only 29% of Australian businesses invested in social commerce as a marketing and sales channel in 2025.
The gap presents an opportunity for businesses to connect with customers where they're already spending their time and money.
In this article, we'll explore what social commerce is and how businesses can use it to its full potential to drive sales and foster loyalty.
What is social commerce?
Social commerce is the process of selling products directly through social media platforms. Users can experience the entire buying process, from discovering and reviewing the product to purchasing it, all within the app.
Social commerce enhances shopping by making it more interactive and personalised. By combining social engagement, influencer marketing, and in-app checkout features, social commerce helps brands turn users into customers.
Social commerce vs ecommerce: What’s the difference?
Ecommerce is the process of promoting, selling, and buying products online through multiple digital channels. Social commerce is a subset of ecommerce, but the buying process begins (and may occur entirely) on a specific social media platform.
How does social commerce work?
Social commerce combines social media and online shopping, letting users discover and purchase products directly within apps.
The buying journey might look like:
User sees shoppable post or video from brand or influencer
User looks at comments to build trust and social proof
With in-app checkout or redirect to website, shoppers can buy instantly without leaving the platform
Behind the scenes, algorithms personalise recommendations, and analytics track engagement to boost future sales.
Social commerce trends
Our latest research reveals how consumers are shopping on social media:
Frequent shoppers: Globally, 62% of social commerce users make purchases up to five times per month.
Generational differences: In Australia, 12% of Boomers have shopped on social media vs 47% of Gen Z and 42% of Millennials.
Average spend: Among social media shoppers globally, 37% spend approximately $63 each time they make a purchase.
Shifting habits: The data suggest that social commerce is gaining traction among older generations, potentially rivalling traditional TV shopping channels as their preferred way to make purchases.
Shoppers want convenience: 39% of shoppers use social commerce to access better deals, 31% because they can shop from several stores quickly, and 40% due to speed.
Social commerce is still early in Australia, but it’s growing fast. For retailers, it’s a way to meet customer demands for convenience and speed.
Five social commerce benefits
1. Turn discovery into purchase
Social commerce removes the friction between browsing and buying. Customers move from interest to checkout in a single flow, which cuts drop-off and lets you meet demand the moment it happens.
2. Meet customers where they are
Social platforms are where your customers already evaluate products. Selling in these environments lets you act the moment a decision is made, rather than waiting for the interest to drop.
3. Expand reach without adding friction
Selling directly through social channels extends your storefront to new audiences without sending customers to unfamiliar websites or apps. The experience feels native, fast, and easy to complete.
4. Build trust with visible validation
Reviews, content, and customer posts act as proof at the point of purchase. Seeing others use and endorse a product reduces hesitation and helps customers buy with confidence.
5. Learn what converts and why
Social commerce provides clear insights around what customers engage with, share, and buy. These insights help teams refine offers, improve messaging, and double down on what drives conversion.
Social commerce with Adyen
Social commerce is moving quickly. The brands that win are the ones that make buying simple and reliable.
We work with social businesses like Meta, TikTok, and YouTube to help brands deliver smooth, native payments.
Because when it comes to payments, the fundamentals matter: payment methods, checkout speed, and fraud protection can make the difference between conversion and abandonment.
Adyen's platform supports these flows, helping brands turn social engagement into secure, fast purchases, without added friction.
Social commerce is only one piece of the puzzle. To see how leading brands are connecting their social, online, and in-store channels, check out Adyen’s Retail Report.