Social media is no longer just a place to connect, share content, or follow trends. In 2026, it has become an important part of the shopping journey.
Consumers are discovering products through Reels, creators, recommendations, and conversations before they ever visit an e-commerce website. In India, this shift is especially significant: recent research from Meta and the Retailers Association of India found that social media influences a large share of retail discovery and that shoppers increasingly move between online and offline channels.
The result is a new model of digital commerce: from scrolling to discovery, from discovery to conversation, and from conversation to purchase.
