Where consumers shop sees stark generational divide across social platforms

New survey data by GoDaddy  found consumers are shopping on social media often, but maybe not the platforms you’d expect.

More than 1 in 5 of the 1,500 U.S. consumers surveyed in September make purchases on social media platforms at least weekly, and the top platform was… Facebook, with Millennials leading the charge(s).

There are generational differences in where people shop
Millennials are most likely to shop on Facebook than any other generation, with Gen X and Boomers seeming as interested in the platform as Gen Z. When asked if they purchased from Facebook in the last three months:

• Gen Z – 31% said yes
• Millennials – 52% said yes
• Gen X and Boomers – 35% said yes

Gen Z is most likely to shop on TikTok. When asked if they purchased from TikTok in the last three months:

• Gen Z – 52% said yes
• Millennials – 37% said yes
• Gen X and Boomers – 12% said yes

Instagram was Gen Z and Millennials’ second most used platform for purchases made on a social platform in the last three months:

• Gen Z – 44% made a purchase
• Millennials – 39% made a purchase
• Gen X and Boomers – 12% made a purchase

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Younger consumers are shopping often and impulsively

• Only 1 in 10 Gen Z (9%) and Millennials (12%) say their purchases on social media are planned ahead of time
• More than half of Gen Z (62%) and Millennials (56%) make purchases on social media platforms at least monthly, while 1 in 5 (21%) Gen Z and Millennials make several purchases a week on social media platforms

Gen Z and Millennials are spending in similar ways

• The majority of Gen Z (80%) and Millennials (79%) have made purchases on social media, compared to just half of Gen X and Boomers (51%)
• Among those who have made purchases on social media, the top three categories were fashion and clothing (37%), food (22%), and electronics (10%)
• Gen Z (44%) and Millennials (38%) said they would not spend more than $50 on items purchased via social media

Legitimacy and shipping concerns can stop a purchase

• Uncertainty about the legitimacy of a business is the primary barrier to purchasing items from social media, cited by nearly half (47%) of consumers across all generations
• Shipping issues were a big cause of concern for nearly half Gen Z (46%) and Millennials (47%), citing that high shipping costs or long shipping waits would deter them from buying

“Consumers are actively shopping on social platforms in ways that may surprise small business owners,” said GoDaddy Trends Expert Amy Jennette. “Small businesses that have convenient, shoppable posts directly within a social platform will be a step ahead of the competition. Entrepreneurs need more than a social profile, otherwise they’re leaving money on the table.”

When considering the social platforms small businesses should prioritize, most Millennials (67%) feel strongly that small businesses should maintain a presence on Facebook compared to other generations, which aligns with their shopping habits.

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The table below outlines which social platforms each age group expects a small business to be present. (For example, 61% of Gen Z consumers expect businesses to be on Instagram.)

E-commerce small businesses should take note of which social platforms their target audiences are shopping on and update their business’ social media profiles to provide convenient shopping experiences for consumers.

GoDaddy helps entrepreneurs sell their products across social media platforms from one central GoDaddy Dashboard. Small businesses with an online store can quickly sync their product catalog and create direct checkout listings, so social media users buy directly through the social platform to help convert the sale.