Social Commerce

The kids are already headed back to school, and the way parents shopped for them will be an indicator of holiday purchase patterns. This year, major macro retail trends at play are upending how consumers shop as they prioritize different factors in their consideration process. Let’s look at how holiday 2022 might mimic back-to-school shopping…

Global social media use has exploded during the pandemic, with platforms like TikTok (38 percent growth from 2019-2021, according to Statista) and Pinterest (32 percent growth) leading the way. People are using social media to engage with friends and family, as well as to learn about brands, products and services. In fact, social media is…

Having an engaging social presence has long been imperative to a business’ visibility and success, and the same can now be said for commerce. There’s never been a better time to start selling through social. With social commerce predicted to grow to $1.2 trillion in the next three years, businesses need to be agile in…

Since the rise of Amazon.com, e-commerce shops have been steadily taking market share from brick-and-mortar retailers. This trend exploded during the pandemic: In 2020 alone, e-commerce grew more than 3X in the U.S. and nearly 5X in the United Kingdom. But in 2022, e-commerce and in-store retail are converging, not competing. The reason? The emergence…

TikTok had a strong 2021. The platform grew to over 1 billion active users in September 2021, up from 271 million in December 2018. The introduction of TikTok Shopping was a statement of intent. Its first foray into the realm of social commerce, the feature was TikTok’s response to consumer cries for convenient shopping experiences. Consumer…

Everyone knows Instagram as a social medium, but only a few realize it's now becoming a conversational medium as well. Recently launched features now enable brands to conduct business with customers through private conversations. Businesses can now directly carry out commerce through Instagram. This is a powerful capability poised to transform e-commerce as we know…

Pinterest announced a deal last week to acquire shopping platform The Yes, as the social media company attempts to increase e-commerce activity on its platform. The Yes uses algorithmic techniques to develop a personalized feed for shoppers. Pinterest began testing a similar service called Your Shop in the U.S. earlier this year, with plans to roll it out…

E-commerce sales have been on the upswing as a share of total sales since before 2000, and in the last decade, social platforms have played an increasing role. Then 2020 happened, driving an unprecedented spike in online sales. This year so far, we’re seeing social media mature as a force that drives e-commerce, in addition…

In this episode of Retail Right Now, Total Retail's Joe Keenan and Marie Albiges discuss an article recently published by Total Retail titled, “Social Commerce is Having More Than a Moment,” authored by Stevie Morris, vice president of content and social marketing strategy at Razorfish. With more than $958 billion spent in 2021, it’s clear…

E-commerce accelerated through the pandemic, and consumers are increasingly expecting to purchase products on platforms they already use. The established digital commerce leaders, such as Google Shopping, Amazon.com, and Etsy, have seen substantial usage increases since the onset of the pandemic, which is emblematic of the broader digital storefront trend. Historically, retailers have had a…