Christy Balita
Research expert covering the Philippines
Social commerce in the Philippines - statistics & facts
Discovering new brands and getting product reviews are easier now more than ever, thanks to social commerce. Social media users are no longer limited to interacting with their online peers and watching entertaining video content, but they can also shop without leaving the platform. Through affiliate links, user-generated content (UGC), and influencer marketing, brands can easily connect with their potential customers and entice them to purchase a product they are selling. With the highest average time spent on social media in the APAC region, this subset of e-commerce has considerable potential, as reflected in the growing estimated revenue of social commerce in the Philippines.
The dominance of Facebook as a social media platform made it easier to capture the growing social commerce market in the Philippines. However, the growing popularity of TikTok Shop has proven to be a contender not only against rival social networks but also in the entire e-commerce scene.
Facebook dominates the social commerce scene
Facebook was by far the leading social media platform in the Philippines in 2023. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was also the most used platform for making a purchase, according to a 2023 survey. With its embedded marketplace, shoppers can browse through several products and services on offer. They can even filter through locations, making it easier for them to shop. Facebook also had the highest estimated social commerce revenue for 2024, with revenues twice as much as the second-leading platform. Aside from its embedded marketplace, brands also make use of the millions of potential advertising audiences on the platform, using targeted digital ads. Facebook also introduced live selling, allowing businesses and individuals to showcase their products and communicate with their customers in real time.More than photos and videos: captivating shopper's attention on Instagram
Meanwhile, although Instagram Shop is not available in the Philippines, brands maximize their presence on the platform by showcasing their products and linking their profiles to their shops on e-commerce marketplaces. With the use of reels, brands also partner with Instagram influencers and encourage user-generated content to review their products. The platform is especially popular among female audiences, which account for the highest share of advertising reach on Instagram.The rise of TikTok Shop
With its entertaining short-form or 10-minute videos, TikTok has captured not only a growing number of users, but also brands eager to market their new products and services. As in the case of Facebook and Instagram, brands and businesses can easily reach their potential customers using targeted ads, partnering with TikTok influencers, and collaborating with TikTok users through user-generated content (UGC). The platform also allows individuals and businesses to link products to their videos, offering a seamless shopping transaction. In addition, TikTok Shop was introduced in the Philippines in 2022, a fully integrated e-commerce solution with a dedicated shopping tab. While the estimated social commerce revenue of TikTok in the Philippines is still lower than that of Facebook and Instagram, TikTok already emerged as one of the leading e-commerce platforms in the country in 2023, based on gross merchandise value.The dominance of Facebook as a social media platform made it easier to capture the growing social commerce market in the Philippines. However, the growing popularity of TikTok Shop has proven to be a contender not only against rival social networks but also in the entire e-commerce scene.
