# Social Commerce in Australia 2026: The State of Play

URL: https://ecomchannels.com/insights/social-commerce-australia-2026/
Category: Social commerce
Updated: 2026-10-30

> How big social commerce is in Australia in 2026, where shoppers actually buy after discovering products on social, and what online retailers should do next.

Social commerce in Australia is worth billions and growing, but for most local retailers it works as a discovery channel rather than a checkout. Australia Post puts Australian social commerce at [$4.9 billion in 2024, rising to an expected $8 billion by 2029](https://auspost.com.au/content/dam/auspost_corp/media/documents/ecommerce-reports/annual-ecommerce-reports/ecommerce-report-2025.pdf). Shoppers find products on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest, then usually buy on a brand's own store or a marketplace. The retailers who do best keep social content, product data and stock connected.

## How big social commerce is in Australia

The audience is close to the whole country. DataReportal counted [21.0 million social media user identities in Australia in October 2025, equal to 77.7% of the population](https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2026-australia). We Are Social's Digital 2025 report found Australians use [6.5 different social platforms each month and spend an average of 1 hour 51 minutes a day on social media](https://wearesocial.com/au/blog/2025/02/digital-2025-australia-social-media-rivals-search-for-brand-discovery/).

Buying behaviour has followed. DHL's 2025 country report found [3 in 5 Australian shoppers have made a purchase on social media, and 53% say it could become their top shopping destination by 2030](https://www.dhl.com/content/dam/dhl/local/global/dhl-ecommerce/documents/pdf/g0-ecs-insights-country-report-australia-2025.pdf). The same survey found 71% say trends or viral products influence what they buy.

Social commerce is still a small share of total online spend, but it shapes far more purchases than it closes. That is the key point for planning.

## Social media now rivals search for product research

The bigger shift is where research happens. We Are Social reported that [more than 58% of Australians use social media for brand and product research, close to search engines at 62% and well ahead of brand websites at 37%](https://wearesocial.com/au/blog/2025/02/digital-2025-australia-social-media-rivals-search-for-brand-discovery/).

Age matters. IAB Australia's 2025 Commerce Report found [59% of 18 to 39 year olds say social media is important to how they find products, and 75% have discovered brand information from an influencer or content creator they follow](https://www.iabaustralia.com.au/resource/ecommerce-report-2025/). Search still leads for shoppers over 50, and the average online shopper uses 4.8 discovery touchpoints before buying.

In practice, a shopper might see a product in a Reel, check reviews on TikTok, compare prices on a marketplace and then buy wherever delivery and price suit them. A brand that only posts sporadically, or whose social content does not match the listing, loses that shopper somewhere along the way.

## Where Australians actually check out

Two platform changes define 2026.

First, Meta moved Facebook and Instagram Shops back to website checkout. Meta told sellers that [from June 2025, Shops would gradually begin using website checkout instead of in-app checkout](https://www.valueaddedresource.net/meta-phases-out-native-checkout-facebook-instagram-shops/), so customers discover products on Facebook and Instagram and are sent to the retailer's own site to pay.

Second, TikTok Shop is still not open to Australian buyers. As of 14 October 2026, [customers could shop on TikTok Shop in 24 markets, but Australia was not one of them](https://synlighetsverket.se/en/insights/tiktok-shop-lander), and a reported early-2027 launch has not been confirmed by TikTok. We cover this in more detail in [TikTok Shop and live shopping for Australian sellers](https://ecomchannels.com/insights/tiktok-shop-live-shopping-australian-sellers/).

The practical result is that Australian social commerce mostly runs on a "discover on social, buy elsewhere" model. The checkout is your storefront or one of the marketplaces you sell on, such as Amazon, eBay, Kogan or BIG W Market. That makes the quality and consistency of those destinations as important as the social content itself.

## What this means for retailers in 2026

Four priorities follow from the data:

1. **Post consistently across several networks.** Shoppers move between platforms, so one channel is not enough. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Pinterest each reach different audiences and stages of research.
2. **Make every post lead somewhere that converts.** A product post should link to a fast product page with accurate price, stock and delivery information. Broken links and out-of-stock products waste paid and organic reach.
3. **Keep product facts identical everywhere.** The ACCC states that [the same rules that apply to all advertising apply to social media](https://www.accc.gov.au/business/advertising-and-promotions/social-media-promotions), including prices and delivery claims. A single master product record reduces the risk of mismatched claims.
4. **Plan for social checkout without depending on it.** If TikTok Shop launches locally, sellers with clean product data and an established content habit will be ready. Until then, build demand that your store and marketplaces can capture.

## Key figures

- Australian social commerce reached [$4.9 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $8 billion by 2029](https://auspost.com.au/content/dam/auspost_corp/media/documents/ecommerce-reports/annual-ecommerce-reports/ecommerce-report-2025.pdf) (Australia Post, 2025).
- [3 in 5 Australian shoppers have bought on social media; 53% say it could become their top shopping destination by 2030](https://www.dhl.com/content/dam/dhl/local/global/dhl-ecommerce/documents/pdf/g0-ecs-insights-country-report-australia-2025.pdf) (DHL, 2025).
- [58% of Australians use social media for brand and product research, against 62% for search engines and 37% for brand websites](https://wearesocial.com/au/blog/2025/02/digital-2025-australia-social-media-rivals-search-for-brand-discovery/) (We Are Social, 2025).
- [21.0 million social media user identities in Australia, 77.7% of the population](https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2026-australia) (DataReportal, 2026).
- [75% of 18 to 39 year olds have discovered brand information from an influencer or creator they follow](https://www.iabaustralia.com.au/resource/ecommerce-report-2025/) (IAB Australia, 2025).

## How eComChannels helps

eComChannels connects the parts of social commerce that usually sit in separate tools. [AI social media outreach](https://ecomchannels.com/products/ai-social-media-marketing/) drafts posts for Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, X, Threads and RedNote from your product data, so your team approves and publishes a steady flow of content instead of writing each post from scratch. More consistent posting across more networks means more chances to be found during the research stage.

Because posts are built from the same master product record used for your listings, the price, features and images people see on social match what they find when they click through. That traffic can land on a [branded storefront](https://ecomchannels.com/products/storefronts/) that is fast and SEO/GEO-ready, or on the marketplaces you already sell on. [Order management](https://ecomchannels.com/products/order-management/) then pulls every order into one place and keeps stock in sync, so a post that takes off does not leave you overselling.

To see how it fits your channels, [book a demo or start a 30-day free trial](https://ecomchannels.com/book-a-demo/).

## FAQ

### Is social commerce big in Australia?

Yes, and it is growing. Australia Post valued it at $4.9 billion in 2024, with $8 billion expected by 2029, and DHL found 3 in 5 Australian shoppers have bought on social media. Its influence on research is larger than its share of checkouts.

### Can Australians buy directly inside Instagram or TikTok?

Mostly not. Meta moved Facebook and Instagram Shops to website checkout from June 2025, and TikTok Shop had not launched for Australian buyers as of October 2026. Shoppers discover on social and complete the purchase on a retailer's site or a marketplace.

### Which social platforms matter most for Australian retailers?

It depends on the category and audience. Facebook remains the most widely used platform, Instagram is the most preferred, TikTok leads on time spent and Pinterest suits planning-led categories like home and fashion. Most retailers benefit from a consistent presence on several of them.

## Sources
- Australia Post eCommerce Report 2025, Australia Post (2025): https://auspost.com.au/content/dam/auspost_corp/media/documents/ecommerce-reports/annual-ecommerce-reports/ecommerce-report-2025.pdf
- Clicks, carts & conversions in Australia, DHL eCommerce (2025): https://www.dhl.com/content/dam/dhl/local/global/dhl-ecommerce/documents/pdf/g0-ecs-insights-country-report-australia-2025.pdf
- Digital 2025 Australia: Social media rivals search for brand discovery, We Are Social (2025): https://wearesocial.com/au/blog/2025/02/digital-2025-australia-social-media-rivals-search-for-brand-discovery/
- Digital 2026: Australia, DataReportal (2026): https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2026-australia
- Australian and New Zealand Commerce Report 2025, IAB Australia (2025): https://www.iabaustralia.com.au/resource/ecommerce-report-2025/
- Meta Phases Out Native Checkout For Facebook & Instagram Shops, Value Added Resource (2025): https://www.valueaddedresource.net/meta-phases-out-native-checkout-facebook-instagram-shops/
- Where is TikTok Shop available? Every country and the Nordics, Synlighetsverket (2026): https://synlighetsverket.se/en/insights/tiktok-shop-lander
- Social media promotions, ACCC (2026): https://www.accc.gov.au/business/advertising-and-promotions/social-media-promotions