UK Social Commerce Market Analysis
Most of the Buyers from the UK social commerce market have purchased products through platforms like TikTok Shop, Facebook Marketplace, and Instagram. While significant opportunities exist—driven by improved financial wellbeing, high daily platform engagement, and innovations in live stream shopping and image search, challenges remain, more than half of the non-buyers preferring other shopping methods due to concerns about product quality and payment security. Brands can strategise to gain Social Commerce Market Size.
UK Social Commerce Market Trends
Fashion/accessories and electricals are the top categories purchased via social media, with clothing and footwear specifically accounting for nearly a quarter of purchases.
Social media platforms, particularly TikTok and Instagram, play a central role in product discovery, with most buyers influenced by family and friends recommendations and purchasing from brands they discovered through social media.
Impulse purchasing is prevalent, with 71% of social media buyers making spontaneous purchases.
Consumer priorities include seamless payment experiences, with more than a quarter buyers interested in image search tools and nearly 20% in AI-powered personal shopping assistants to enhance future shopping experiences in the UK social commerce market.
About The Report
The UK Social Commerce Market Report 2025 provides in-depth insights into the Social Commerce Market in the UK, exploring consumer behaviours, platform usage patterns, and purchasing dynamics. It covers areas such as the most popular social media platforms for shopping, consumer satisfaction, purchasing patterns, and the consumer interest in live stream shopping, impulse buying, and emerging innovations like image search tools and AI-driven shopping assistants. The Social Commerce Market Report analyzes purchasing patterns across key categories including fashion, beauty, electronics, and household products. Retailers, marketers, and brands seeking to enhance their social commerce strategies will benefit from this report, gaining valuable data to optimise their approach and improve customer engagement on social media platforms.The market landscape presents significant opportunities for growth as brands integrate social commerce into omnichannel strategies and address key consumer priorities around payment to stay competitive and gain UK social commerce market share.
Key Topics Analysed in the Report
- The influence of family/friends versus public figures on social media-driven purchasing decisions.
- A look into what social platforms consumers use to shop directly or indirectly on, and the types of products they buy.
- In-depth look at shopper satisfaction with buying products via social media, and key priorities for retailers to enhance the experience.
- Insights into future shopper interest in purchasing products through social platforms.
- Analysis of the role of social media in driving impulse purchases and introducing shoppers to new brands/retailers.
| Report Attributes | Details |
|---|---|
| Published Date | August 2025 |
| Data Range | 2016 – 2025 |
| Measurement Metrics | Revenue in £ |
| Country Focus | United Kingdom (UK) |
| Consumer Data | 1,845 internet users aged 16+, May 2025 |
| Number of Pages | 83 |
| Market Segmentation | Clothing, Footwear, Accessories, Beauty and Personal Care Appliances, Toiletries, Fragrances, Cosmetics, Jewellery, Watches, Online and Hard-Copy Media, Consumer Electronics, Household Electrical Appliances, DIY and Garden Products, Furniture, Home Furnishings |
| Leading Companies | TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Pinterest, Reddit, Threads, Twitch, Bluesky, Lidl, P.Louise, Made by Mitchell, Shein, Sainsbury’s, Sephora, Superdrug, M&S, Temu, Boots, Blakely Clothing Co, Boohoo, Next, Fairfax & Favor, Ikea, Arne Clo, Rapanui Clothing, Cotswold Co, Bee Inspired Clothing, Bloom & Wild, Libertys, Casetify, Thortful, Cernucci |
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report was written by Emily Viberg. Emily is a Retail analyst specialising in writing Mintel’s seasonal shopping and gifting reports.
Social shopping is thriving, with live streaming poised to fuel its future growth. Brands which have fully embraced the format are seeing the most success, especially when it’s integrated into omnichannel strategies for a seamless shopping experience.
Emily Viberg
Retail analyst
Collapse All
-
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Opportunities for social commerce
- Social commerce is mainstreaming, but still has a long journey ahead
- Live stream shopping to shape the future of social commerce…
- …but should be leveraged now to tackle current pain points
- Increase discoverability in-person to cater to multi-channel shoppers
- Market dynamics
- Current financial wellbeing holds steady
- Graph 1: the financial wellbeing index, 2016-25
- Most social media users are active on a daily basis
- One in five expect to increase their time on social media
- Graph 2: expectations of social media behaviour in five years, 2024
- What consumers want and why
- Fashion tops social media shopping
- Graph 3: top categories shopped from directly or indirectly via social media, 2025
- Facebook leads as the top platform for shoppers
- Graph 4: social media platforms used to purchase products from directly or indirectly in the last month, 2025
- Social media buyers most satisfied with ease of finding products
- Graph 5: satisfaction when shopping via social media, 2025
- Image search capabilities shows highest interest
- Graph 6: interest in social commerce innovations , 2025
- Social media platforms are key to discovering new brands/retailers
- Graph 7: purchasing behaviours on social media, 2025
- Family and public figures have significant influence over purchasing decisions
- Graph 8: drivers behind purchases made via social media, 2025
- Over half of non-social media buyers prefer to shop via another method
- Graph 9: reasons for not purchasing products via social media, 2025
- Retailer activity
- TikTok Shop introduces new tool to automate advertising campaigns
- Lidl launches on TikTok
- Trending social media aisle now a common fixture in BPC stores
- Temu leading advertiser on social media channels
- Graph 10: social media advertising expenditure, by leading retailer, 2024
-
MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market drivers and social media landscape
- Current financial wellbeing holds steady
- Graph 11: the financial wellbeing index, 2016-25
- Opportunity to capture on greater spending intent for the year ahead
- Graph 12: the financial confidence index, 2016-25
- Wage growth to boost confidence levels
- Graph 13: CPI inflation rate and total pay growth rate, 2021-25
- Most social media users are active on a daily basis
- Facebook is the most popular platform, but TikTok’s growth continues
- Graph 14: usage of top social media platforms in the last month, 2025
- TikTok Shop number of customers sees peak at seasonal events
- Graph 15: number of customers on TikTok Shop, 2023-25
- Graph 16: number of transaction made on TikTok Shop, 2023-25
- One in five expect to increase their time on social media
- Graph 17: expectations of social media behaviour in five years, 2024
-
WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Purchasing via social media platforms
- Purchasing via social media is high and led by 16-34s
- Graph 18: Any social media purchasing, by age group, 2025
- Facebook leads as the top platform for shoppers
- Graph 19: social media platforms used to purchase products from directly or indirectly in the last month, 2025
- Men lead purchasing across most platforms…
- Graph 20: purchasing via social media, by gender, 2025
- …but women aged 16-34 more likely to buy via TikTok
- Purchasing via social media boosted by high media usage
- Graph 21: purchases made via social media platforms by frequency of social media usage in the past month, 2025
- Social media users are loyal to one platform when buying products via social media
- Graph 22: number of social media platforms used to purchase products via in the past month, 2025
- Graph 23: number of products purchased via social media in the past month, 2025
- Products purchased via social media
- Fashion tops social media shopping
- Clothing and footwear lead social media purchasing
- Graph 24: products purchased directly or indirectly on social media in the past month, 2025
- 16-34s lead purchasing across all categories
- Graph 25: products purchased directly or indirectly on social media in the past month, 2025
- Men are more likely than women to buy electrical goods via social…
- Graph 26: products purchased directly or indirectly on social media in the past month, by gender, 2025
- …but there is rising interest for male beauty grooming products
- TikTok’s influence on fashion and food buying is clear
- Graph 27: products purchased by TikTok shoppers in the past month, 2025
- Satisfaction with purchases made via social media
- Satisfaction with purchases made via social media is high
- Social media buyers most satisfied with ease of finding products
- Prioritise post purchase support and promote easy payment
- Key Driver Analysis of satisfaction
- Men lead satisfaction when purchasing via social media
- Graph 28: satisfaction level when purchasing products via social media, by gender, 2025
- Engage lower earning households with better browser extension compatibility
- Graph 29: satisfaction levels when buying products via social media in the last 12 months, by financial situation, 2025
- Interest in social commerce innovations
- Image search capabilities garner highest interest for future social purchasing
- 16-34s lead interest in innovations for future social media shopping
- Graph 30: future interests when shopping via social media, by age, 2025
- High earners interested in avatars and AI shopping assistants
- Graph 31: interest in innovations when shopping via social media, by household income, 2025
- Reduce sizing worries with live stream shopping
- Graph 32: future interest in social commerce innovations, by category purchased via social commerce, 2025
- Future of search on social media will be elevated with AI chatbots
- Purchasing behaviours on social media
- Social media platforms are key to discovering new brands/retailers
- In-store displays of trending products appeal to 16-34s and young families
- Graph 33: agreement to “in-store displays featuring products trending on social media have made me purchase a product”, by age and children in household, 2025
- P.Louise leverages socially built community in store
- 16-34s are high impulse buyers on social media
- Graph 34: “I have purchased a product via social media on impulse in the last month”, by platform they purchased products via in the last 12 months, 2025
- Be transparent with AI generated content
- Young consumers most likely to be turned-off by AI generated content
- Graph 35: “retailers/brands posting AI-generated social media content discourages me from shopping with them”, by gender and age, 2025
- AI generated content can help consumers get in on NPD
- Key drivers behind purchases made via social media
- Family and public figures have significant influence over purchasing decisions
- Graph 36: drivers behind purchases made via social media, 2025
- Household electrical buyers most swayed by WOM
- Public figures boost purchasing across higher-ticket categories
- Graph 37: “I have purchased a product via social media after seeing it promoted by a public figure”, by the types of products they have purchased via social media, 2025
- Interest for reviewing products in exchange for discounts is high for 16-34s
- Graph 38: “I would be interested in reviewing products on social media in exchange for rewards”, by age, children in household, household income, 2025
- Reward frequent social media users
- Rewards wanted for beauty appliances and fashion purchases made via social media
- Graph 39: “I would be be interested in reviewing products on social media in exchange for rewards” and products purchase via social media in the last 12 months, 2025
-
LAUNCH ACTIVITY AND INNOVATION
- Social commerce innovations
- Meta AI could be a key tool for social sellers and a USP of the platform
- TikTok Shop introduces new tool to automate advertising campaigns
- Pinterest trials collages for advertisers
- YouTube launches new interactive product feed for shoppable TV ads
- Reddit launches new engagement tools
- Retailer activity
- Lidl launches on TikTok
- Pinterest brings trend-led collections to life with with Primark and Habitat
- e.l.f. rolls out AI digital beauty experience in partnership with Pinterest
- Retailers tease upcoming product launches on social media first…
- …providing more opportunity for social media platforms to be first point of call
- Trending social media aisle now a common fixture in BPC stores…
- …with more opportunities to bridge the gap between social commerce and physical retail
- Snapchat brings its AR tech in-person
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Social advertising grows its portion of total ad spend in 2024
- Graph 40: social media advertising expenditure, by media type, 2024
- Temu leading advertiser on social media channels
- Graph 41: social media advertising expenditure, by leading retailer, 2024
- Be upfront about AI advertising on social media
- TikTok filters can be a powerful marketing tool
- e.l.f. Cosmetics Power Grip Primer campaign earns over 2.3 million times on YouTube…
- …but its BTS Instagram Reel saw 5.9 + million views
-
APPENDIX
- Report scope and definitions
- Consumer research methodology
- Key driver analysis methodology
- Interpretation of Key Driver Analysis results
- Graph 42: overall satisfaction with purchases made via social media – key driver output, may 2025
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
- Snoop SpendMapper methodology
- Abbreviations and terms
Mintel: Market Intelligence Made Easier
The first Mintel Market Intelligence report was published over 50 years ago. Since then, we have provided our unique insights and understanding of consumers, innovation and global markets to thousands of customers worldwide. Here’s why our customers rely on Mintel:
- Gain a comprehensive, 360-degree view of the market: Mintel reports blend consumer research, market forecasts, product innovation tracking, and competitive analysis, allowing businesses to see every angle of their industry and identify new opportunities quickly.
- Make decisions with confidence, grounded in robust data: Each report draws on up-to-date, reliable information from trusted sources and industry experts, ensuring your strategies are based on solid evidence rather than speculation.
- Benefit from expert analysis and practical recommendations: Mintel’s reports are written by experienced analysts who interpret complex data and provide clear, actionable insights you can trust to guide your next moves.
- Stay ahead with actionable intelligence on market trends and consumer behaviour: By combining fresh research with long-term market monitoring, our reports help businesses anticipate changes and adapt strategically. So you’re prepared to make informed decisions and drive growth.
What goes into a Mintel Market Intelligence Report?
Curious about how a Market Intelligence report comes together? We like to think of it as building a detailed puzzle. We start with individual pieces: data from consumers, market statistics, industry trends, and online conversations. Then our expert analysts add world-class human insight and industry knowledge. The pieces are assembled to reveal a clear, comprehensive picture of a market.
The Four Pillars of Our Research
We use a combination of four main research methods when creating our reports, each adding a valuable perspective:
- Consumer Research: Direct surveys with real people, giving us clear, current insights into what people think and do.
- Desk Research: In-depth review of trusted data sources. We use this rich database, plus powerful internal tools that track new products and market sizes, to detect trends and guide forecasts.
- Trade Research: Insights from conversations with industry experts. Their real-world experience helps us understand what’s happening behind the scenes.
- Brand and Social Media Research: Analysis of online opinions and trends. This lets us spot trends, measure brand sentiment, and capture feedback in real time, adding further depth to our research.
Bringing It All Together
Each of these four pillars provides a different piece of the puzzle. Consumer research tells us what customers think, desk research provides the factual framework, trade research offers an insider’s view, and social media analysis reveals public sentiment.
Our expert analysts are skilled in weaving these diverse data streams together. They apply a range of quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques to uncover the deeper story, connecting the dots to deliver clear, actionable insights. This comprehensive, multi-layered process is how we transform raw data into a market intelligence report you can trust to inform your most important business decisions.
For a closer look at a Mintel Market Intelligence Report, take a look at the sample PDF report below:
Please Note: All of the figures, graphs, and tables in this sample report have been redacted.
$ 2,995 (Excl.Tax)
-
Download today with instant access
Pay via credit card or purchase order
-
Multiple formats provided
We send a PDF, Powerpoint and Excel Databook straight to your inbox. An interactive version of the report is also available on our online platform
-
Interactive databook included
Focus on the data that matters most to you with a customisable databook avaliable on our platform
-
Save 10% on all orders with the code INSIGHTS2026
Offer available until the end of December only
Next Starts Here
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.
Learn moreTrusted by global industry leaders
We’ve found it so useful working more closely with Mintel. They helped support our recent flagship event for our top suppliers by providing a really unique viewpoint on the future of online retailing.
Nick Carroll from their Retail Team was also an excellent panelist, sharing useful and actionable consumer insights. We definitely look forward to working with Mintel again on future projects.
Zac Steele, E-Commerce Trading Development Manager, Waitrose & Partners
We have such a great working relationship with Mintel on lots of different levels. As an insight partner, they have helped us to develop our business planning in specific categories as well as supporting our creative process but they’ve also been super helpful with facilitating our events in their inspirational offices near St Paul’s.
They’re an innovative company, with a client-focused team that always delivers.
Abby Carvosso, Group Managing Director, Bauer Media Group
At Jackman, we believe that powerful strategies are based on human insight. Mintel’s leading-edge reports and insights into consumer attitudes and behaviors are an important input as we develop and execute strategy.
Alana Gavin, VP Research and Insights, Jackman
Mintel helps us when we want to know something quickly – it provides fast answers to our questions. If we need to get a view of what’s going on in a particular market it’s very useful.
When carrying out background research, I find Mintel an excellent starting point.
The fact that it covers so many markets is a big plus for me– instead of having to buy specialist products in each area we are interested in, especially when we only require a brief view on a particular market, we can go to Mintel for help as a one-stop shop. I find Mintel a useful and valuable resource.
Ben Zeidler, Director - Research and Analytics, Tenth Wave
Mintel is really good for getting a handle on a particular category quickly. If we are working on a new business pitch in an area we don’t have much experience in, it’s a brilliant way to get up to speed with what’s going on, what’s changing and what the key trends are in any category.
It’s very rare now that anyone will plough through a 200-page report – that’s why the summaries are really useful. We know they are backed up by a lot of detail, so if you need to go into something in more depth you know the information will be all there for you.
Pauline Robson, Managing Partner, Mediacom
Next Starts Here
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.
Learn more
