Two in ten surveyed online shoppers in the United Kingdom begin their search for products on social media. However, only 7 percent finalize their orders through this channel. Most of them finalize their purchase on a retailer’s website or app.

These data come from the 2024 Elusive Consumer Survey by Capterra, which was conducted in April this year. During that time, 499 citizens in the United Kingdom over the age of 18 were surveyed.

75% start online search in search engine

According to the report, three quarters of consumers start their online search for products on internet search engines. Retailer’s websites and apps were also named often (55 percent), which is also the most common place where orders are finalized.

Instagram used most often for shopping

While social media is not yet playing a major role in online shopping, the findings do show that consumers tend to look at this channel for shopping inspiration. Consumers that use social media platforms to shop often do this on Instagram (69 percent), Facebook (54 percent) and TikTok (50 percent).

‘46% of shoppers use social media to find small or local brands’

A common reason for shoppers to use social media is to find products they are interested in (73 percent). Discovering discounts is also common (61 percent) and some shoppers do it to find new brands (58 percent). Even 46 percent said they are interested in finding small or local brands on social media. This shows that by using social media marketing, brands can reach relevant audiences.