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Gen-Z consumer behaviour is shaping social commerce trends
Gen-Z consumer behaviour is driving social commerce trends and demanding sustainable retail. Learn how values shape loyalty and shopping habits.
Gen-Z consumer behaviour is driving social commerce trends and demanding sustainable retail. Learn how values shape loyalty and shopping habits.
Generation Z are young, savvy and socially extroverted. They’re drawn to brands that share their values, whether that’s LGBTQ+ rights, racial equality, or environmental sustainability.
When it comes to marketing to Gen-Z, the approach has to be more nuanced. You’re not just selling a product, you’re selling what your brand stands for.
Engaging with the Gen-Z market requires a tailored strategy. Before you even begin marketing to them, you need to establish your brand’s values and mission.
This generation are digital maestros, and they’ll quickly decide whether you’re authentic or just paying lip service.
Gen-Z are shaping some of the biggest behavioural and cultural shifts in society, and the retail sector is feeling that influence more than most.
Raised on the internet, they connect with brands who have a clear mission, promote inclusivity, and foster healthy online communities. They believe every brand should play an active role in improving society, from climate action to body positivity.
For retailers, it’s no longer enough to advertise products. To resonate with Gen-Z, you need to build meaningful relationships, especially on their favoured social platforms, and show real action behind the causes they support.
Social platforms have become the checkout counter for Gen-Z.
In the UK, TikTok Shop has exploded.
Sellers grew from around 4,900 in 2022 to nearly 47,800 by 2025, with livestream shopping events up 64% and sales up 93% year-on-year.
UK social commerce overall is projected to reach nearly £16 billion by 2028.
Instagram isn’t standing still either. Around 130 million users interact with shoppable posts every month, and 44% of its active users engage with shopping on the platform weekly.
Together, these stats show just how central TikTok and Instagram are to Gen-Z’s shopping journey.
Shoppers are 1.7× more likely to purchase through TikTok LIVE than through static posts or listings. For Gen-Z, livestream shopping blends entertainment, influencer culture, and instant purchase opportunities.
These events more than marketing campaigns. They’re digital social gatherings where purchases are made in real time.
Gen-Z trust peers and creators more than polished brand ads.
User-generated content (UGC) and shoppable posts play a huge role in conversion.
For brands, this means encouraging authentic customer content isn’t optional. It’s a direct path to sales.
For Gen-Z, sustainability isn’t a preference, it’s often a loyalty dealbreaker.
About two-thirds of Gen-Z (64%) say they’re willing to pay more for sustainable products.
In the UK, one in ten Gen-Z and younger Millennials say they’d pay 50% more for a sustainable alternative, and many are willing to spend at least 10% more.
Even under inflation pressures, consumers globally are still prepared to pay an average premium of 9.7% for sustainably produced goods.
TFG London (owners of Hobbs, Whistles, Phase Eight) has adopted supply chain transparency tools to map production down to raw materials, monitor environmental metrics, and audit working conditions. This gives them measurable Scope 3 emissions data (something Gen-Z consumers increasingly demand).
Fairphone takes a similar approach in consumer tech. Its smartphones are modular and repairable, built from ethically sourced metals. The brand’s transparency has built loyalty and community advocacy.
For Gen-Z, transparency is a trust-builder that strengthens brand affinity.
With over half of UK consumers factoring eco-credentials into purchase decisions, it’s clear that visible, authentic sustainability is a key driver of loyalty.
Brands that can show proof (not just promises) are the ones who will retain Gen-Z shoppers.
To engage with Gen-Z, brands must “market and mean it”. Picking a cause, defining a mission, and taking measurable action is now the foundation of retail trust.
Gen-Z will often judge a brand on its mission and transparency before they ever buy. Clothing retailers, for example, now highlight material sources and working conditions after years of backlash against fast-fashion.
Retail activism has to go deeper than one-off campaigns or calendar-based events. Gen-Z are quick to spot rainbow-washing or greenwashing. If they sense insincerity, they won’t just ignore you — they’ll call it out publicly.
By contrast, brands that donate profits, elevate marginalised voices, or show real community involvement build lasting trust.
Don’t focus your social marketing efforts solely around selling, instead, create content that’s abundantly clear what your values are, and share as much of your brand’s mission as you can.
Sustainability and activism are reshaping consumerism.
Retailers who align actions with words and make causes central to their strategy will find Gen-Z willing to reward them with loyalty, advocacy, and spend.
Donating profits, elevating marginalised voices, volunteering in the community and attending marches and protests are genuine actions that prove to Generation-Z that brands truly align themselves with their values and back their beliefs.
Gen-Z are fuelling two unstoppable shifts. The rise of social commerce and the demand for sustainable commerce.
For retailers, that means meeting them where they shop (on TikTok, Instagram, livestreams, and shoppable feeds) while also proving eco-consciousness with transparent supply chains and measurable sustainability.
Those who combine social fluency with sustainable credibility will be the brands that Gen-Z champion well into the next decade.
Because Gen-Z spend much of their time on social platforms, they expect to shop directly where they already consume content. Social commerce removes friction, making discovery, engagement, and purchase seamless.
Sustainability is often a dealbreaker. Around two-thirds of Gen-Z are willing to pay more for sustainable products, and many won’t buy from brands that lack clear eco-credentials.
Gen-Z trust peers and creators more than brand ads. UGC — from reviews to shoppable posts — carries more weight and often drives conversions.
Yes. TikTok Shop has seen a 93% year-on-year increase in sales, and over half of UK users have already purchased directly through social platforms. Instagram also reports 130 million monthly interactions with shoppable posts.
By offering transparent data: mapping supply chains, publishing emissions targets, auditing suppliers, and aligning with recognised certifications.
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