How did Hailey Bieber take her skincare line Rhode from its founding in 2022 to a billion-dollar brand in just three years? In large part, thanks to TikTok. Bieber’s massive social media following (16+ million on TikTok) helped make the social platform the brand’s primary sales channel, launching it into its own beauty stratosphere.
Plus, Bieber recognized what a lot of other brands didn’t: social commerce is here to stay.
Social media used to be a marketing channel. Now, it’s a commerce channel. Social commerce – the practice of selling products through social media and digital experiences – is evolving into a core revenue engine for brands and retailers, and it’s panning out to be one of the biggest retail trends of 2026.
Social Platforms as Primary Channels
Consumers now use social platforms not just to discover products but to purchase them without leaving the app. In the U.S., more than half of social buyers are expected to shop on TikTok this year, and marketplaces like TikTok Shop account for nearly 20% of social commerce activity. Brands that once relied on storefronts on traditional web marketing, like Reebok, are now partnering with TikTok to boost sales.
People are spending staggering amounts on products they find on social media: an average of more than $700 a year per person in the U.S. alone. Social feeds, short-form video, comments and community engagement now do much of the persuasion work once reserved for traditional web funnels. This year, global social commerce sales are predicted to surpass $100 billion, and TikTok Shop could sell up to $15 billion in merchandise to Americans this year.
An interesting phenomenon is simultaneously occurring: TikTok is making its way into malls. In July, the company partnered with Westfield Malls to bring its ads and content to screens within the high-end shopping centers. This move represents the truly blended, omnichannel commerce of the future.
Discovery-First Commerce
Modern social commerce is about introducing consumers to products in which they may be interested. Short-form video and user-generated content are the new storefronts. These formats influence consideration long before any “Shop Now” button is tapped. Retailers that lean into creative storytelling on social commerce see higher engagement and conversion.
For example, LTK was founded in 2011 as an affiliate marketing tool for fashion bloggers (formerly known as LiketoKnow.it). It has evolved into a destination for over 350,000 creators and 40 million monthly users in the U.S.
Social commerce also fueled much of holiday spending last year. End-of-year shopping saw record online spending, hitting $257.8 billion (Nov-Dec 2025), with about 15% coming from social commerce.
Live Shopping and “Shoppertainment”
Live shopping – virtual, interactive selling through livestreams – continues to gain traction in Western markets, although it has been massively popular in Asia for some time. For example, live commerce now represents 15-20% of total e-commerce in Indonesia and Thailand.
Live shopping spending is projected to hit $55 billion this year in the U.S.
Amazon’s social commerce strategy is making waves in this arena. It focuses on blending shopping with social discovery, using features like Amazon Live for shoppable streams and leveraging influencers via the Amazon Influencer Program. This program allows content creators to build storefronts, share product links, and earn commissions, monetizing their social presence. Celebrity picks on Amazon Live often end up crossing multiple media channels, like PageSix.
Here’s why it works:
- Real-time interaction builds urgency and feels authentic.
- Audiences engage like they would in a store, asking questions in the chat and seeing demos.
- It’s entertainment, too. Consumers log on to see their favorite influencers and end up buying something.
What This Means for Retailers
For traditional and digital-native retailers alike, social commerce represents both a challenge and opportunity. Retailers should treat social not as an experiment but as a new funnel.
Brands are getting creative in this area. For example, PacSun just launched its own social commerce app. The shoppable “PS Community Hub” will enable creators to post content and earn affiliate commissions. It’s following in the footsteps of Sephora, which launched a creator storefront called My Sephora Storefront in September, where influencers can link to products.
This means investing in video, stories and short-form content that introduces products creatively, as well as forming creator partnerships with influencers. It’s also important to make sure analytics for these channels are on point so businesses can understand what’s working and what’s not.
Social commerce is an integral part of the next chapter of retail. Consumers now expect shopping experiences to be entertaining, interactive and social, and retailers should be very intentional with how the content they are producing will help their products succeed.
Image via Unsplash.