SOCIAL media is the new shop window for the high street, research suggests — as it gets Generation Z to head out to trendy venues to buy viral products.
Content posted on apps such as TikTok and Instagram is thought to be behind an estimated 1.7billion extra retail visits a year, or 30million a week.
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Social media is the new shop window for the high street for Gen Z shoppers Credit: Getty
Content on apps such as TikTok and Instagram is driving an estimated 1.7 billion extra retail visits a year, or around 30 million a week, research suggests Credit: NurPhoto via Getty Images
About 63 per cent of British adults admit that online platforms have influenced them to visit at least one shop, café or restaurant in the past year.
And for Gen Z shoppers, aged 18 to 28, the figure rises to 88 per cent.
Many young people are also willing to travel long distances to be on trend, with 35 per cent having gone to another city or region to buy a product they first saw being talked about online.
And 87 per cent would be willing to wait in a queue for a sought-after product or experience.
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There is a ripple effect for high streets, with 32 per cent of those polled saying they also stopped off at additional shops, restaurants, or other venues during a social media- influenced trip.
Research modelling suggests that social media is now influencing one in every 20 in-person high street purchases across the UK.
The report from Retail Economics and American Express was based on a survey of 2,000 people across the UK in April, as well as retail and hospitality spending data.
Dan Edelman, UK general manager for American Express, said social media had become the “new shop window for Britain’s high streets”.
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