Social Commerce Adoption and Consumer Buying Behaviour Among Generation Z in India

Abstract

Digital technology has transformed how people communicate and interact with each other, bringing consumers and retailers closer together. Social media enables the flow of information, experiences, and feelings within online communities where user-generated content, peer reviews, and recommendations are shared. This has driven a marked shift toward social commerce — the selling of merchandise directly through social media platforms — which has been widely adopted across countries including India, particularly after the pandemic made physical shopping less convenient. India’s social commerce market continues to grow, supported by rising smartphone penetration, affordable internet access, and increasingly reliable digital payment systems. As technology continues to evolve, marketers are increasingly targeting Generation Z (born 1997–2012), a digitally native and digitally-savvy cohort. This study measures the extent to which social commerce influences the buying behaviour of Indian Generation Z consumers, with findings intended to inform marketing strategy. A structured questionnaire was administered to 400 respondents aged 18–27 who had purchased a product after being influenced by social media, such as peer reviews from friends or influencer recommendations. Data were collected on a fivepoint Likert scale, validated, and analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The analysis covered descriptive statistics, reliability assessment, validity testing, and structural model evaluation. Findings confirm that social commerce has a significant, positive effect on consumer buying behaviour, and that the relationship between the two constructs is statistically meaningful. Social media assists young consumers through convenience, personalised recommendations, interactive content, and customer reviews — features that strengthen engagement, build brand loyalty, and enhance purchase intention. As Indian youth constitute one of the largest consumer markets globally after China, this evidence carries both theoretical and practical significance for marketers. Suggested variables for future research include trust, perceived risk, electronic word-of-mouth, and social influence.