The Rise of Social Commerce: Gen Z’s Shopping Behavior in 2025

martinagvisionfact
Sep 20
4 min read

Gen Z, the generation born between 1997-2010, described as digital natives. They grew up with access to the internet, smartphones and social media. These events shape not only the way they communicate but also the way they decide about product purchasing.

What is social commerce?

Social commerce is the selling and purchasing of products directly from social media platforms, such as TikTok Shop, Instagram Shop, Facebook Marketplace, Pinterest etc. The key element is that people do not need to leave the app to check the product they just discovered. Everything, from discovering the product to checkout happens in one place, which encourages quick, impulsive purchases and keeps Gen Z highly engaged.

Person browsing clothing items on a smartphone, wearing blue jeans. Screen shows product images and prices, creating a shopping vibe.

Social commerce vs. e-commerce

On the contrary, e-commerce is a general term for online shopping. The purchasing goes through well-known websites or apps such as Amazon, eBay, AliExpress or individual online shops through their websites. The main differences between social commerce and e-commerce are: purchase location, where purchase happens. product discovery, when talking about social commerce, product discovery happens through social feeds, reels, influencers or other peers. Whereas, e-commerce product discovery happens via ads, or google search.

An example of social commerce. A Gen Z user watches a TikTok video that is featuring a beauty influencer for instance, Hyram Yarbro. The influencer is demonstrating a new lipstick product, she provides a direct link to the product. When Gen Z users click on the link they stay in the same app, where they can choose a product and pay for it without any necessary searching. After purchasing the product they can continue scrolling on TikTok without any distractions.

Gen Z shopping habits in 2025

Generation Z is already transforming how brands operate to connect with young audience. The major habit is the starting point of discovering and purchasing products through social platforms. Brands need to show up authentically on platforms like TikTok or Instagram, where young people scroll in order to be visible and successful.

Gen Z in 2025 doesn’t buy only a product, they shape their whole life around inspirations, experiences and value connections with brands. Virtual fitting rooms or AR try-on tools are becoming increasingly popular. These tools not only help online shoppers to decide about size, fit, colors but also create a more interesting experience. Moreover, they prefer online shopping over in-store browsing, influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns.

Apart from searching and scrolling social media platforms, they tend to do research about the products. Trying to find reviews, comments or description of the product before they commit. For Gen Z, finding a reliable source of information means following influencers who play a big role in their shopping decisions. Recommendations from influencers arе one of the strongest factors that influence purchase decisions of Gen Z. Apart from that, a vital role is played by the authenticity and transparency of the brand, their values and attitude towards sustainability, inclusion and diversity. And lastly, engaging content and interactive videos can increase engagement and trust.

Hand holding a smartphone displaying social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. “Social Networks” text on screen.

Best platforms for social commerce in 2025

Gen Z uses social media platforms on a daily basis, they use it for fun, to share pictures or videos, but recently also because of inspiration and discovering new products and brands. As an example, if a young girl from Gen Z wants to buy new make-up, she will not look it up on Google, but she will look it up on TikTok where she can see recommendations from other peers or influencers.

So what are the best platforms for social commerce in 2025? Definitely, one of the most used media platforms is TikTok. Gen Z spends a lot of time on the platform TikTok, watching funny, storytelling videos but also content recommending clothes, beauty products etc. It has become the new search engine for Gen Z, leading to high interaction and quick purchases. Another popular platform is Instagram, many influencers share aesthetic visual content and tag products, making it easy for users to find and purchase it. Pinterest has become very popular, as young people use it as an app for trend inspirations, for example, outfit trends. Customers can purchase products through shoppable pins. Finally, YouTube plays an essential role for long product reviews, hauls or tutorials, helping Gen Z make informed purchasing decisions.

Conclusion

Social commerce has shaped how Gen Z purchases products. Brands need to consider a more seamless experience without distractions. An important point is that Gen Z prefers experiences rather than material things. To be successful, and win loyalty and drive purchases from Gen Z in 2025, it is necessary to use social media platforms: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest.