How Social Shopping Changed the Game of Consumerism

The rise of a consumerist culture in post industrial societies today has given way to a new form of shopping—social shopping. With the increasing use of Social Media as platforms for networking and content sharing, businesses and organizations are beginning to recognize how they can benefit by encouraging consumerism through the use of social media.


So what is social shopping? Social shopping, otherwise known as social commerce, is an online shopping platform that allows consumers to shop while engaging in social interactions with their friends and family. Consumers who participate in social shopping are given the liberty to offer and receive immediate feedback or advice from both strangers and acquaintances, about a particular product.


In comparison to traditional shopping, social shopping provides multiple advantages to both consumers and companies.


Firstly, social shopping, like other multiple online shopping websites, redefines the definition of shopping and commerce. No longer do consumers need to be physically present at a shop to purchase a product. Shopping becomes simple and convenient as buyers merely need to access the internet to shop online. Moreover, since online shops normally provide shipping services, shoppers have the luxury to shop without worrying about getting their hands full.


Although social shopping shares several common characteristics as online shopping, it should not be merely recognized as one. What distinguishes social shopping from traditional online and offline shopping is the immense use of social media. As mentioned earlier, the power of social shopping lies in the fact that buyers have the autonomy to rate, share and provide feedback about a specific product. Utilizing the concept of social media and social networking, social shopping provides shoppers with a unique experience of online shopping by allowing them to connect with their online friends to share and gather feedback about a particular item. Just as traditional offline shopping allows shoppers to shop together with their friends, social shopping provides the same experience in an online setting. Buyers are no longer affected by geographical boundaries and can still shop while getting instantaneous opinions from their friends!


Besides, the use of social media in the process of social shopping is not restricted to an individual’s peers as well. Thanks to globalization and the internet, people too, from various regions of the globe are able to share their opinions with other buyers. From a producer’s perAs buyers Firstly, consumers can benefit by receiving instant feedback from their friends about a particular outfit or product. Just as social media allow users to interact and stay in touch with their loved ones easily, social shopping ensures that consumers are able to keep in as social shopping with greater opportunities to interact with a wider global community while shopping.