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Dive Brief:
TikTok and Pinterest are emerging as preferred product discovery engines for Gen Z, challenging Google and Amazon as starting points, according to data by PartnerCentric released in June.
PartnerCentric surveyed 1,000 Americans on their social media and shopping habits. Out of all social media platforms, Americans spend on Facebook Marketplace the most and averaged $133 in May.
Two-fifths of respondents, and half of Gen Z, use Discord to shop. Nearly 1 in 5 Gen Z respondents pay for access to private retail and product communities, “creating new, loyalty-driven commerce opportunities outside traditional marketplaces,” according to PartnerCentric.
Dive Insight:
American shoppers are tapping into various social media platforms to make their purchases as social shopping gains steam. Shoppers are taking notice of platforms like Reddit and YouTube for help during various stages of the shopping journey, sometimes instead of more established platforms.
Two-thirds of U.S. respondents say they use Reddit in some form, including when seeking product reviews. Younger folks in particular are gravitating toward Reddit before deciding on a purchase. One in ten millennials and Gen Zers prefer Reddit over Google for product reviews.
Only half of Gen Z consult Google first before looking at other product reviews. One in ten Gen Zers prefer consulting TikTok compared to Google to find a specific product. Comparatively, one in ten baby boomers use YouTube for product reviews over Google, while one in three go straight to a commerce website like Amazon in search of a specific product.
TikTok Shop is growing even as the platform’s existence in the U.S. remains in limbo. The average U.S. consumer spends around $40 a month on TikTok Shop, according to PartnerCentric. Millennials spend the most on TikTok monthly, averaging $50. This is compared to $1 a month by baby boomers, Gen X who spends $39 monthly and Gen Z who averages $33 a month.
Social commerce and livestream shopping are on the rise, as users consistently return to TikTok Shop and categories like beauty continue to grow on the platform. TikTok Live remains the top live shopping platform among U.S. consumers, outpacing QVC, HSN, Facebook Live and Instagram Live.