Has Social Media Changed the Way we Shop?

The digital world has been responsible for lots of changes in our daily lives, from how we stay in touch with friends and family, to the way that we get our entertainment and retail therapy fix. But are social networks also changing the way that we shop?

More photo opportunities

Although we all want to look good on a night out, the likelihood that pictures of your Friday night out with the girls will end up plastered over Facebook and Twitter can really pile on the pressure when it comes to choosing an outfit. With Facebook announcing that 300 million photos are uploaded to their site every single day, it’s no wonder that social media is affecting our shopping habits, as more and more people are concerned about being snapped in last season’s look. In a recent reader survey, Grazia magazine found that their Australian readers admitted to shopping more as a direct result of social media.

Coveting has become easier

Before social media, we were more likely to covet what we saw in magazines and high-end window displays. Now, with websites like Pinterest and Polyvore, millions of fashion and home-ware ideas are available at the click of a mouse.  We can even create ‘sets’ and outfits before heading off on a shopping spree, giving us the chance to make far more considered decisions – which can only be a good thing.

We can shop whenever we want

Forget wasting Saturday afternoons in busy department stores, or hurriedly rushing around the high street on our lunch hour. We can do our online clothes shopping at Very.co.uk while dinner’s in the oven, or when we’re cheering on our X Factor favourite. Clothes retailers are rapidly becoming social media savvy, with some larger brands experimenting with shop fronts built into their Facebook pages.

We can share our favourite styles with the world

Fashion bloggers are one of the most formidable forces around when it comes to making and breaking new trends, and if they want to keep their glowing reputations they can’t afford off days. Fashion bloggers have to keep an eye on the high street and make sure that they’re picking the right trends to showcase – which means more shopping! Bad news for their wallets, but great news for us, their readers.