Despite Gen Z often being stereotyped as the TikTok generation, Millennials now outshop their younger consumer counterparts across TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, according to the latest research by the Retail Technology Show (RTS).
Original research of over 1,000 shoppers by RTS showed that on average Millennials made 21 purchases on TikTok in the last 12months compared to the 20 items bought on the social platform by Gen Zers. Compared to Gen Z consumers, Millennials also made more purchases across Facebook (20 vs 14) and Instagram (19 vs 18), making them the fastest growing demographic for social commerce, with the number of purchases made by Millennials across TikTok, Instagram and Facebook rising +36% year-on-year.
However, while Millennials lead the way on spending on TikTok, Insta and Facebook, Gen Z just outstrip them on the number of purchases made on Roblox (13, up from 9 last year – a +44% increase, against 12 made by Millennials).
With social commerce growth in the UK predicted to more than double in the next four years, rising to almost £16 billion by 2028 according to Retail Economics, overall, across all UK consumer age ranges, TikTok dominates as the top social channel for making purchases. RTS’s research shows that the average shopper bought 11 times in the last 12 months on TikTok, up +37.5% from 8 purchases last year, followed by Instagram and Facebook (10 purchases each).
As more and more brands embrace Tik Tok, including Currys who capitalised on the social commerce divide by enlisting a Gen Z staff member to write scripts for social media adverts, generating massive online engagement and Nivea, which launched an influencer hosted live stream promoting its skincare to younger audiences on the platform, TikTok is also investing in helping retailers grow revenues. Launched in July 2023, its £1Million Club helps new merchants grow to £1m in revenue on the platform through a series of incentives and support.
Matt Bradley, Event Director at RTS, commented: “The rise and rise of the social media channel has been well-charted, and it shows no signs of stopping. As shoppers’ seemingly insatiable appetite for content-led commerce continues to grow, this has given rise to a new cohort of ‘TikTok made me buy it’ consumers, an increasing valuable shopper segment that retailers want to tap into. However, with mass adoption and a wider demographic of consumers outside of just Gen Z now driving this growth, retailers will need to adapt how they engage and retain social shoppers, requiring data-led decision making in order to optimise targeting and engagement.”
Social commerce will be one of the key focuses in RTS’ digital retail and ecommerce session tracks during the two-day event at ExCeL London on 02 & 03 April 2025. On Day 1, TikTok Shop’s Nora Zukauskaite joins consumer champion Martin Newman for a fireside chat to discuss social commerce in 2025 and beyond. The session will cover key tips, tricks, trends and best-practice retail growth examples to help retailers optimise efforts across their social media channels.
Debuting in its new home, ExCeL London, RTS will welcome 15,000 retail professionals to explore its retail carnival on 02 & 03 April 2025, bringing the wonder of retail to life at the industry’s flagship event that celebrates innovation and fast-forwards retailers’ digital transformation. Register for free to attend: https://www.retailtechnologyshow.com.
