In a rapidly changing digital landscape, social media platforms have emerged as the new shopping centers for Generation Z, showcasing a significant shift in consumer behavior. According to Salesforce’s latest Connected Shoppers Report, a staggering 39% of Gen Z consumers report having made purchases directly through social media, while 76% discover products via these channels. This trend underscores the growing importance of social commerce in reaching the Gen Z demographic—individuals born between the mid-to-late 1990s and early 2010s—who are projected to wield an impressive $9 trillion in global spending power by 2034.
“Social commerce is the latest channel for digital spending that is fragmenting across a constellation of marketplaces, retailer websites, brand sites, and delivery apps, rather than consolidating into a single channel,” said Michelle Grant, Director of Retail Strategy and Insights at Salesforce. She emphasized that brands willing to fully embrace this potential will be in a prime position to capitalize on the expanding Gen Z market.
The report reveals that 53% of all shoppers now discover products through social platforms, a notable increase from 46% in 2023. While YouTube remains the dominant platform for product discovery, TikTok has emerged as a favorite among younger shoppers, with 40% of Gen Z using it compared to just 4% of Baby Boomers.
This shift towards social commerce presents unique challenges for retailers, who must now navigate a fragmented landscape comprising numerous platforms including TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Moreover, Gen Z is adopting artificial intelligence at a higher rate than previous generations for product discovery and evaluation. The report found that 54% of Gen Zers have utilized generative AI for these purposes, compared to 39% of the total population.
Notably, Gen Z shoppers are ten times more likely than Baby Boomers to frequently use AI to discover new products and are 2.7 times more likely to seek product recommendations from AI agents—63% of Gen Z compared to 23% of Baby Boomers. In light of these trends, Salesforce suggests that retailers need a unified commerce platform that combines AI capabilities with a centralized data foundation and seamless application interoperability to manage the increasingly complex shopping journeys.
“The deeply unified Salesforce Platform empowers businesses to engage customers across every touchpoint, from TikTok to YouTube, maximizing reach and driving sales,” Grant explained. “And with 24/7 digital labor enabled by the Platform’s agentic layer, Agentforce, companies can manage these omni-channel journeys at scale without adding significant headcount.”
Meanwhile, another platform experiencing a resurgence among Gen Z is Tumblr, which has found new life as a refuge from an internet saturated with influencers and algorithm fatigue. Launched in 2007, Tumblr encouraged users to craft personal aesthetics and immerse themselves in niche communities. Despite struggling to monetize after its acquisition by Yahoo in 2013, Tumblr has seen a revival, with Gen Z making up 50% of its active monthly users and accounting for 60% of new sign-ups as of 2025, according to data shared with Business Insider.
The platform's user numbers spiked during TikTok's near-ban in January and again last year when Brazil temporarily banned X (formerly Twitter). In response, Tumblr users launched dedicated communities to archive and share their favorite TikToks. Progressives disillusioned with the political shifts of major social media platforms are increasingly turning to Tumblr, which offers a more independent and chaotic charm.
To keep pace with this momentum, Tumblr introduced Reddit-style Communities in December 2024, allowing users to connect over shared interests. In January, it debuted Tumblr TV, a feature that serves as both a GIF search engine and a short-form video platform. For its users, Tumblr’s appeal lies in its status as a less commercialized alternative to larger platforms, currently ranking as the 10th most popular social platform in the U.S.
In a more tangible expression of Gen Z’s cultural influence, Glossier, the American beauty brand, recently opened a pop-up shop in Paris to promote its latest fragrance, Fleur. On March 29, 2025, the shop was filled with teens and 20-somethings, showcasing Glossier’s deep inroads with Generation Z since its inception 11 years ago. Glossier began shipping to France in 2018 and has garnered significant engagement on social media, with France ranking fifth in terms of interaction.
At the pop-up, visitors navigated through a vibrant scene filled with biodegradable confetti, culminating in an interactive experience where grabbing a bottle of Fleur prompted an AI-generated personalized poem displayed on a screen. The allure of Glossier, as articulated by 15-year-old student Clémentine Stahl, lies in its “cooler” image compared to traditional French brands that “think more classically.”
However, while Glossier is beloved by Gen Z, it has yet to establish a physical retail presence in France, relying solely on pop-up shops for in-person sales. This strategy reflects a broader trend among brands aiming to connect with younger consumers through immersive experiences.
Interestingly, the drinking habits of Gen Z seem to diverge from those of previous generations, with many young people opting not to drink alcohol as frequently. In a candid commentary, Mike Brown, a local writer, noted that Gen Z’s reluctance to drink could be attributed to various factors, including financial constraints and a shift towards vaping and other alternatives. He humorously suggested that if alcohol companies want to appeal to this demographic, they might consider infusing vape flavors into their products or leveraging social media to create engaging marketing campaigns.
As society continues to evolve, it’s clear that Generation Z is reshaping the landscape of consumer behavior, from shopping habits influenced by social media to the revival of nostalgic platforms like Tumblr and the changing dynamics of alcohol consumption. Their preferences are not only driving trends but also challenging brands to adapt to a rapidly shifting marketplace.
