‘Social shopping’

It’s popular, but don’t get caught up in the hype

When Ziwei Cong, assistant professor of marketing at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, bought some sweatpants during a livestream shopping event on social media, she was disappointed when they arrived and didn’t fit well.

“It’s very easy for me to become irrational during these kinds of shopping events,” she said.

Social shopping, or purchases made through social media sites that sometimes incorporate livestreaming events with influencers, is booming.

Despite its popularity, social shopping also comes with risks, most notably overspending. Shopping experts suggest the following guideposts when engaging in social shopping.

1 Proceed slowly

Social shopping leads to overspending, Cong says, because it’s so engaging. “It’s a more direct and interactive way to communicate with consumers, and it boosts the perceived experience of the product,” she explains.

The flash sales and limited promotions contribute to that rush to purchase, as does the “herding effect” from seeing other people leave comments and express their desire to buy, Cong adds.

To resist those temptations, shopping expert Trae Bodge from truetrae.com suggests slowing down and even stepping away from the screen.

Budgeting expert Andrea Woroch says that if you see something appealing pop up in your feed, instead of buying it immediately, save the link to come back to later, after you take time to consider your budget.

2 Compare prices and check reviews

Bodge also encourages shoppers to check other websites for lower prices, look for coupons and leverage cash-back options that might be available outside of social shopping, such as on retailer or brand sites.

Woroch suggests checking customer reviews, too.

In some cases, making returns for items purchased through social shopping can be more of a hassle, so it’s worth checking the return policy in advance, Woroch adds.

3 Keep personal information private

Though social shopping can feel like a community experience, it’s worth remembering that your public comments are visible to strangers, and it’s important to keep personal details private, Bodge says. “Don’t overshare, and never put your credit card or address in the comments,” she adds.

Bodge also advises against leaving the social media platform to enter payment information on a third-party site, which could be a scam, and she encourages people to use a credit card to make purchases for added fraud protection.