A recent study by delivery management platform Scurri revealed that over eight in ten (86%) British retail brands now perceive social commerce as a tool ‘democratising’ the retail landscape, allowing mid-sized businesses to compete with larger corporations for market share.

Savanta conducted the research on behalf of Scurri on 123 UK retailers, encompassing both enterprise and mid-market firms.

Insights from the research

The research indicates that large-scale enterprises are learning strategies from smaller, founder-led brands that have carved out success through social commerce. A notable 50% of these larger retailers acknowledge that engaging with customers on social platforms is not just an extra but a critical engine for growth.

Forecasts suggest a bright future for the UK’s social commerce sphere, with expectations set for it to more than double from £7.4bn ($9.6bn) to nearly £16bn by 2028. This surge would account for 10% of the total online commerce market, marking a significant increase from the current 6% and outpacing the growth rate of overall e-commerce sales by fourfold.

The consensus among 83% of respondents is that social commerce represents the UK’s most rapidly expanding sales channel.

In response to a question on which channels would drive strategic growth opportunities over the next 24 months, mid-market brands identified YouTube (55%), Instagram (54%), and TikTok Shop (54%).

In contrast, enterprise retailers pointed to Facebook (57%), Instagram (48%), and TikTok Shop (48%) as they look ahead to 2027.

The study also reveals that 90% of mid-market and 84% of enterprise brands have recognised the imperative to adopt agile and innovative approaches to thrive within a channel-centric commerce landscape. The study highlights that less hierarchical companies can adapt more swiftly to consumer demand shifts.

Research indicates that mid-market brands are more engaged in shopper engagement activities on social commerce compared to enterprise businesses, with higher percentages activating paid partnerships (42% versus 29%), creating brand customer content (48% versus 39%), and hosting live shopping events (46% versus 24%).

In contrast, Scurri data shows that 32% of enterprise brands partner with macro-influencers, against 21% of mid-market brands and 47% of enterprise brands collaborate with lifestyle influencers compared to 37% of mid-market brands.

Across all business sizes, majority (89%) of retailers agree on the importance of post-purchase experience in fostering consumer trust.

Scurri founder and CEO Rory O’Connor said: “To meet the demands of platforms like TikTok Shop, UK retailers of any size must partner with approved delivery services that meet the platform’s standards for timely and secure deliveries. Using delivery management software to streamline operations between multiple partners allows retailers to scale efficiently and ensure timely deliveries, reducing the risk of delays and customer dissatisfaction.

“Regardless of which social platform they sell on, retailers’ delivery partners also need to integrate seamlessly with other fulfilment tech infrastructures, such as warehouse management (WMS) or order management solutions (OMS), to optimise processes, uphold delivery experience and create the compelling post-purchase journeys social shoppers expect.”