Social commerce is spiking among Gen Z online shoppers, scrolling through their social media feeds and making impulsive purchases.
Walmart has a new report out, and the findings could change your business strategy if your target audience is aged 12 to 27. The American retailer hopes to find answers to explain how customers adapt to a new retail era.
Shopping is no longer an hour-long trip in the car to the only supermarket within a 20-km radius. Retailers are now bringing shopping to customers on the couch while they browse social media and chat with their friends.
With social commerce, Walmart says retailers deliver shopping options to customers “in exactly the way they want and need.”
Are Gen Z customers more reachable on social media?
The answer is yes if the latest statistics are anything to go by. In the past six months, 55% of Gen Z customers have bought items online on social media. This is a significant spike compared to the 38% of shoppers overall.
But where does the journey start? The study found that 44% of these respondents start their shopping experience with online searches. The rest prefer to begin their journey in-store and then turn to online shopping.
Another significant trend among this age group is virtual try-ons. Nearly half (49%) would buy more clothes if they had access to try-on tools.
Immediate satisfaction
Walmart has noticed that shopping has changed from a “singular, focused activity” to one that is done while completing multiple tasks.
In the last six months, “nearly 8 in 10 shoppers have made an online purchase while also focused on another task.”
This tells us three things about the ‘new’ online customer.
- Limited attention span: It’s essential to capture their interest quickly with compelling visuals and a personalized message.
- Flexibility: Shoppers are busy, so it’s important to offer them flexible shopping options like pick-up in-store, lockers at gyms, and next-day delivery.
- Personalization: Personalized recommendations based on browsing history and preferences can help shoppers make quick decisions, especially when multitasking.
Walmart’s report found that nearly half of Americans wish to purchase a time within seconds of seeing it.
“They want the immediate satisfaction of seeing a coveted item while fully immersed in other activities […] and the ability to buy at the spot of inspiration, without the friction of moving to a different channel.”
MORE DATA FROM THE REPORT: Four trends noticed among a new instant shopping demand
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About the author
Mia is a multi-award-winning journalist. She has more than 14 years of experience in mainstream media. She's covered many historic moments that happened in Africa and internationally. She has a strong focus on human interest stories, to bring her readers and viewers closer to the topics at hand.
