UK fashion shoppers relying heavily on social media – InternetRetailing

Consumers already place huge emphasis on the fashion brands they see on social media and so it is only natural they have started to purchase items through these channels, according to the UK Fashion 2024 report.

Nearly one in ten (8.5%) rely heavily on the opinion of social media influencers when buying fashion. A quarter (25.7%) of UK fashion shoppers have bought through social media in the past year. It is important to note here that the question defines true social commerce – that purchases have begun and been completed in a social media channel, rather than consumers simply being influenced. 

The rise of TikTok
Facebook remains the dominant channel for fashion social commerce shoppers with more than half (55%) buying through the platform. TikTok now comes second, with 44%, followed by 37% for Instagram. TikTok Shop has enjoyed huge success in the UK since its launch in 2023, and in April 2024 launched preowned design clothing and luxury accessories and bags for shoppers in the UK to buy.

This is perhaps unsurprisingly when looking at the devices which consumers use for shopping, mobile is increasingly taking over from desktop. In 2019, desktop accounted for half of all fashion ecommerce sales. In 2023, that figure was only just over a third (36%). 

Smartphone is the most popular device
Our ConsumerX research supplements these previous figures from Statista. The research asked how people buy clothing, footwear and accessories. Here nearly half (45%) say they buy mostly online. 38% of shoppers say they buy via smartphone all of the time, while a similar amount (37%) do so most of the time. 

Meanwhile, just over a third (36%) buy equally online and in physical stores and one in five (19%) buy mostly in physical stores. The return to physical stores is highest for clothing with more than three-quarters of consumers (76%) claiming to regularly buy fashion in the flesh. This compares to 63% for footwear and 40% for accessories and illustrates the benefit of stores for trying items on for fit, size and suitability.

The importance of balance
The return to stores is encouraging but it sits alongside an online market that is also thriving. What fashion retailers remain focused on is the need to provide a seamless integration between online and offline with an omnichannel experience that blends the benefits of both.

Many stores have this as a priority, enabling them to offer instore services that integrate more closely with online challenges, with the likes of M&S, Zara and Next all continuing to roll out self-service click and collect and returns options instore for online customers. 

Download the UK Fashion Sector Report 2024 for an in-depth analysis of the UK market, its customers, brands and how it differs to the rest of the fashion world.

Using the results of our ConsumerX Survey and our data partners we explore the modern UK Fashion consumer through RetailX Graphics and Charts. Download the report today to access our exclusive analysis and charts.

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