Contents
What?
Shopping via social media in the fashion industry is becoming increasingly popular, but despite high user engagement, many people don't complete transactions. Although platforms like Instagram and TikTok inspire and engage users, they encounter various barriers that keep the purchasing process from being completed.
Why?
The growing popularity of social commerce in fashion doesn't directly translate into higher conversions, as many users abandon purchases. This stems from platform trust issues, decision fatigue, and disruptions in the shopping experience. The lack of full integration between social platforms and online stores makes it difficult for consumers to complete transactions. These barriers must be overcome for social commerce to fully realize its potential.
Who is it for?
This article is aimed at fashion brand owners, e-commerce managers, and marketing specialists who want to understand why consumers aren't completing purchases via social media and how they can optimize the purchasing process to increase conversions. It's also important for companies that want to leverage social commerce as an effective sales channel.
intersection
of social media and online retail, which has gained immense popularity in recent years, especially among younger generations. This trend is gaining momentum in the fashion industry, as social media platforms are an ideal platform for showcasing inspiration, trends, and styles. Despite this, many brands struggle with low conversion rates as users abandon their shopping carts due to various obstacles in the purchasing process. Understanding these barriers and adapting the shopping experience accordingly can be key to success in this area.
Social commerce , or selling directly on social media, is gaining popularity, especially in the fashion industry. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest allow brands to reach a wide audience by offering inspiration, product demonstrations, and direct access to purchases. However, despite the growing number of users engaging with shopping content, many of these individuals fail to complete transactions. What's stopping them?
Shortened shopping paths on social media
Social media is designed to retain users' attention for as long as possible. Posts filled with attractive photos , videos, and ads are meant to attract attention, creating an atmosphere of desire and inspiration. Unfortunately, while inspiration itself is a powerful motivator, it doesn't always result in a purchase. This is usually caused by switching to third-party online stores, which disrupts the seamless purchasing process. When users move from a social media app to an online store, they may encounter difficulties that result in abandonment.
This is often due to distraction – social media offers fast and dynamic interactions, but the purchasing process is much more static and requires complete concentration. On a store website, users must make additional decisions about choosing size, color, or payment method. The purchasing process often requires users to provide data, which can be perceived as a barrier, especially when compared to the more automated, fast-paced purchasing processes on e-commerce platforms. Such a sudden shift in interaction can discourage potential customers.
Trust as a key element
One of the most important aspects of the social commerce purchasing process is trust . In e-commerce, users often make decisions based on recommendations, reviews from other users, as well as information about the brand, its reputation, and transaction security. When shopping via social media, trust in the platform and the purchasing process itself is often uncertain. Users are concerned about the security of their personal and financial data , especially when the platform does not offer sufficient guarantees regarding data protection.
In addition to technical issues such as data encryption and secure payment systems, users may also be wary of the authenticity of products offered by influencers or social media platforms themselves. Given the increasing number of scams and fraudulent offers (e.g., counterfeits), not every consumer feels comfortable making a purchase directly through social media. Limited information, a lack of full product descriptions, and negative reviews can discourage finalizing a transaction.
Decision fatigue and shopping chaos
As users navigate social media, they are bombarded with a vast amount of content—photos, videos, ads, and promotions. This makes purchasing decisions increasingly difficult. A phenomenon known as decision fatigue is well-known in online shopping and refers to a situation in which an overabundance of options and too many stimuli causes customers to become overwhelmed and ultimately abandon the purchasing process. For example, when clicking on a fashion post and being redirected to a store website, they may encounter an overly broad selection, conflicting product information, and a lack of clear guidance on the next steps in the purchase process.
In this situation, after initial engagement, users may feel lost instead of proceeding to finalization. This phenomenon is particularly evident in the fashion industry, where customers must decide not only about the product but also its size, color, and delivery method. Decision fatigue leads users to abandon the purchase, unwilling to invest additional time in browsing options.
Breaks in the purchasing process: from click to payment
Social media is changing the way consumers make purchasing decisions, but many of these experiences are fragmented and full of gaps. When consumers are redirected from a social media app to an external website , the purchasing process is often not sufficiently integrated. While many platforms are trying to implement in-app shopping solutions, they aren't always optimized enough. This leads to higher cart abandonment rates because customers have to go through additional steps after clicking on an ad, which can result in frustration.
For example, differences in user experience across devices—desktop and mobile—can create additional friction. It's worth noting that incompatibility with mobile devices or slow page load times also influence consumer decision-making. For smartphone users, who are accustomed to fast and seamless transactions, any delays in the process can be a key factor in abandoning purchases.
How to use the potential of social commerce?
Social commerce has enormous potential to revolutionize the way consumers shop in the fashion industry. On the one hand, it gives brands the ability to reach a broad audience , inspire them, and engage them in unique ways. On the other hand, to make the shopping process seamless and effective, barriers related to lack of trust , lack of integration , and decision fatigue .
All of this requires fashion brands to invest in easy-to-use shopping platforms that allow for a seamless transition from inspiration to purchase without unnecessary hurdles. Secure payments , clear product descriptions, extensive brand information , and personalized content will be key to making customers feel comfortable and choosing to shop directly through social media. When brands can provide customers with a seamless shopping experience , social commerce will become a powerful tool in the fashion world.
Will social commerce dominate fashion shopping? The future lies in the hands of brands that understand how to seamlessly combine inspiration with checkout.
Marcin Stadnik
e-commerce advisor
The author is a manager with extensive experience in e-commerce, sales strategy, and content marketing. He is a digital practitioner and consultant with over 15 years of experience in e-commerce projects, sales strategy, and online business development, as well as 25 years of experience in broadly defined distribution (offline and online). He specializes in creating and implementing effective solutions for online stores, supporting companies in developing their digital presence. He co-creates appropriate strategies for e-businesses, conducts audits, and oversees marketing activities—always combining analytical knowledge with market practice. He is the author and co-author of content published on the swiatcyfrowy.pl website—based on his many years of consulting, analytical, and operational experience. The materials created are intended to provide reliable, valuable knowledge that truly supports the development of online businesses. The content here is designed to address the real challenges and needs of companies operating in the e-commerce environment (the digital world).
