Consumer behavior in social commerce: a scoping review of the scientific literature

Abstract

Social commerce has emerged as a central paradigm within electronic commerce by seamlessly integrating transactional capabilities with social interaction, user-generated content, and platform-driven influence mechanisms. This scoping review systematically maps the body of research on consumer behavior in social commerce. Unlike previous reviews constrained by narrower temporal scopes or specific theoretical lenses, the present study synthesizes bibliometric, geographical, methodological, theoretical, and thematic evidence drawn from a comprehensive corpus of 472 studies published between 2010 and 2026. The findings indicate sustained growth in the literature, particularly since 2019, characterized by a strong predominance of quantitative cross-sectional designs and structural equation modeling (SEM). Core constructs such as trust, perceived value, purchase intention, and social influence continue to dominate the field. Nevertheless, emerging research streams increasingly examine phenomena including herd behavior, fear of missing out (FoMO), social proof, influencer-consumer relationships, live commerce, and short-video environments. The review also highlights a pronounced asymmetry in global knowledge production, with substantial contributions from Asia, North America, and Europe, contrasted by comparatively limited representation from Latin America and Africa. By updating and integrating previously fragmented strands of the literature, this review provides an evidence-based mapping of the field's evolution—from early technology-adoption and generalized trust models toward more psychologically nuanced and platform-sensitive explanations of consumer decision-making. Furthermore, it identifies key priorities for future scholarship, including greater theoretical integration, methodological diversification, longitudinal and comparative designs, and expanded research in underrepresented regions.