Forty-eight per cent of UAE Next Gen shoppers are open to buying products or services through social media platforms, according to a survey by Snap Inc., Havas Media Network and Dynata titled The Next Gen Social Commercial Playbook.
The report discovered Next Gen shoppers across several countries, including the UAE, were opting for social commerce over traditional spending methods.
Forty-nine per cent of social media users in the UAE involved their friends in the buying process by sharing pictures and discussing potential product purchases, the survey revealed.
Global managing director at Mx Intelligence, Havas Media Network, Seema Patel, said: “Our research found that 64 per cent of Gen Z and Millennials have made a purchase through social media in the past year – these younger audiences embrace social commerce and with this report, we sought their input on how we can create a more meaningful and engaging social commerce journey.”
Noteworthy, social media proved particularly beneficial for relatively unknown brands in the UAE, with 54 per cent citing that they came across new products and services thanks to such online platforms.
Another 50 per cent revealed that product reviews and recommendations on social media greatly influenced their spending.
Global agency development manager at Snap Inc., Nadav Geft, said: “Social commerce has transformed the way we shop, and on Snap we’ve seen firsthand how friends and family influence buying decisions. With more than half of daily Snapchatters sending product messages and pictures to friends during their shopping journey, there’s a massive opportunity for brands to tap into the experiences that are resonating most with the next generation, underscoring the importance of real relationships ultimately driving real influence.”
Sought-after features
In the UAE, apparel shopping has emerged as the most prevalent type of online buying among Gen Z and Millennials with the playbook revealing that 93 per cent of social media users in the country had made an apparel purchase via social media.
Seventy-eight per cent of Emirates apparel buyers value virtual try-on features when making a purchase decision.
Another key finding revealed that 75 per cent of UAE Next Gen consumers have used augmented reality/.
Social commerce boom
Social commerce sales are forecast to reach $492 billion globally this year, as per last year’s Future of Shopping and Social Commerce report by Accenture.
Deloitte Global puts that number much higher, showing that the market for social commerce will surpass $1 trillion worldwide in 2023.
With an expected five billion social media users worldwide in 2023, the social commerce market is growing faster than traditional e-commerce, Deloitte finds.
A 2023 report by Global Payments, Commerce and Payments Trends findings reveals that 52 per cent of businesses worldwide plan to sell directly through social networks.
