How to shop smartly on social media platforms

The excitement, discounts and limited-time offers can lead to unplanned and regrettable purchases

Avoid social shopping on public wi-fi networks, which can leave you vulnerable to hackers when you are sharing payment information online. Reuters

Ziwei Cong couldn't resist buying a pair of sweatpants that caught her eye during a livestream shopping event, but she was disappointed when they arrived and she discovered how badly they fitted.

“It’s very easy for me to become irrational during these kinds of shopping events,” says the assistant professor of marketing at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.

The hosts can be very persuasive, she adds, and hook you with limited-time offers to trigger impulse buys.

Social shopping, or buying through social media sites that sometimes incorporate livestreaming events and influencers, is booming.

Almost half of US consumers (47 per cent) say they’ve shopped on social media, and 39 per cent say they would do so again, according to 2022 data in a report released in April by the market intelligence agency Mintel.

“Shopping on social media has really taken off more with younger consumers," says the report's author, Katie Hansen, Mintel's senior retail and e-commerce analyst. "They’re on their phones more and on social media more often, so it’s easier to purchase via social media when they find a product they like.”

Despite its popularity, social shopping also comes with risks, most notably overspending, as Ms Cong’s experience illustrates.

The excitement, discounts and limited quantities can lead to unplanned (and regrettable) purchases.

Experts offer the following tips when social shopping:

Proceed slowly

Social shopping easily leads to overspending, Ms Cong says, because it’s so engaging.

“It’s a more direct and interactive way to communicate with consumers, and it boosts the perceived experience of the product,” she explains, especially if a shopper sees their favourite influencer using the item.

The flash sales and limited promotions contribute to that rush to purchase, as does the “herding effect” of seeing other people leave comments saying they want to buy items, Ms Cong adds.

To resist those temptations, shopping expert Trae Bodge from truetrae.com suggests slowing down and even stepping away from the screen.

“Make sure it’s something you want. The sense of excitement and urgency might make you buy something that you haven’t properly vetted,” she adds. “It’s always good to take a beat.”

Budgeting expert Andrea Woroch says if you see something appealing pop up in your feed, instead of buying it immediately, save the link to come back to after you have considered your budget.

“That will avoid any buyer’s remorse,” she says.

Compare prices and check reviews

Ms Trae encourages shoppers to check other websites for lower prices, look for coupons and leverage cash-back options that might not be available through social shopping, such as on retailer or brand sites.

Ms Woroch suggests checking customer reviews, too.

“Do your homework like you would on another shopping site to make sure it’s the quality you expect. A lot of people overlook that when they do social shopping,” she says, adding that it is one reason why the “what I ordered vs. what I got” meme is so popular on social media.

Returning items bought while social shopping can be a hassle, Ms Woroch warns, so it’s worth checking the returns policy in advance.

Keep personal information private

Social shopping can feel like a community experience, but remember that your public comments are visible to strangers, and keep personal details private, Ms Bodge says.

“Don’t overshare, and never put your credit card or address in the comments,” she adds.

Ms Bodge advises against leaving the social media platform to enter payment information on a third-party site, which could be a scam. She also encourages shoppers to use a credit card for added protection against fraud.

Ms Woroch suggests avoiding public wi-fi networks, which mobile phones can automatically connect to, as they may leave shoppers vulnerable to hackers when sharing payment information online.

Then reap the rewards

With those precautions in place, social shopping can be a positive experience for consumers, especially because it lets them connect directly with brands, including those they might not have found through a retailer, says Edward Fox, professor of marketing at Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business.

He says it gives shoppers more choice, and adds: "It democratises the commercial world and allows smaller brands to get a broader audience than they would otherwise."