Millennials rule. It appears they now outshop ‘TikTok generation’ Gen Z-ers on social media, “becoming the fastest-growing demographic for social commerce purchases”, says retail tech show RTS.

Original research of over 1,000 shoppers showed that on average Millennials made 21 purchases on TikTok in the last 12 months compared to the 20 items bought on the social platform by their younger counterparts.  

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 those three platforms, Gen Z just pip them on the number of purchases made on Roblox (13, up from nine last year – a +44% increase, against 12 made by Millennials).
 
The report cited Retail Economics figures that claim social commerce growth in the UK is predicted to more than double in the next four years, rising to almost £16 billion in 2028 overall. And 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 from eight purchases last year, followed by Instagram and Facebook (10 purchases each).
 
Matt Bradley, event director at RTS, said: “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, a 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.”