Social Commerce: Just hype or genuine revenue driver for Swiss Comerciantes?
The integration of e-commerce features into social media is more than just a trend; it is a change in the way we discover products. But what does the reality look like for Swiss Online Comerciante in 2026? Is it worth getting started for you? We take a look at the current figures.
Linda Rajan
Rajan
Table of Contents
What is Social Commerce?
Which platforms are suitable for you?
Benefits for online retailers
Challenges and best practices
Users spend several hours every day on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest and more. It is only logical that companies want to use these platforms to sell their goods directly to their target audience. This is where Social Commerce comes in: This sales practice is intended to close the gap between inspiration ("Oh, I want that!") and purchase ("Ordered!").
The Online Retailer Survey 2025 paints an exciting picture here: While digital marketplaces are growing, Social Commerce in Switzerland has settled at a stable level. What does this mean for your sales strategy as an online retailer?
Anyone who wants to study the Online Retailer Survey in detail can download it here.
1. What is Social Commerce?
Maybe you have already heard the term, but do not know exactly what it means. Simply put, Social Commerce refers to the sale of products and services directly via social media platforms such as Instagram or Facebook.
In contrast to classic social media marketing, where you "only" direct customers to your online shop via a link, the shopping experience merges with social interaction here.
The three core features of Social Commerce are:
In-app checkout: Customers can buy products directly via a shop tab, clickable product tags in images and videos, or via live shopping features.
Personalization: The platforms' algorithms analyze users' behaviour and suggest products that could suit them.
Social interaction: Purchase decisions are directly influenced by likes, comments, recommendations from friends, the community or influencers.
The role of Social Commerce in Switzerland
For a long time, Social Commerce was understood as the big "online shop killer". However, the Online Retailer Survey 2025 shows that Social Commerce does not (yet) replace a webshop, but primarily complements it.
Development of the revenue relevance of Social Commerce
Since 2022, the revenue relevance of Social Commerce has remained constant at around 30 percent. This means that this channel is considered important by one third of Swiss retailers, but noticeable growth has not materialized. Social Commerce is established, but its full potential has not yet been fully realized in Switzerland.
The main reason is very likely the missing platform features. Many features that make Social Commerce so successful abroad are not yet available in Switzerland. For example, the TikTok Shop was introduced in many EU countries at the start of 2025, while market entry in Switzerland has so far not taken place (as of January 2026).
In the US and parts of Asia, the entire purchase process often takes place within the social media app (in-app checkout). In Switzerland, however, this option is no longer available, as the Instagram Shop tab was discontinued in mid-2023. Today, retailers can only link their shop in the profile. Accordingly, Instagram and Facebook are used by Swiss retailers primarily as a digital shop window: inspiration is created on social media, while the purchase completion and payment then take place in your online shop.
This does not make Social Commerce any less valuable; it only changes its role. Instead of functioning as a direct sales channel, in Switzerland it primarily serves as a powerful marketing and inspiration tool to boost your sales in the online shop.
2. Which platforms are suitable for you?
Each platform offers you different tools to showcase your products. Here you get an overview of the possibilities (as of December 2025):
Link to the shop in the profile, live shopping (limited), product catalog (ads), shoppable posts and stories, product tagging, Shop the Look
Link to the shop in the profile, product catalog (profile & ads), marketplace integration (Marketplace)
Product Pins, Shop the Look, visual search
TikTok
TikTok Shop (regionally limited), live shopping, product links in videos
YouTube
Live shopping (limited), product links in video descriptions (often affiliate links)
Product catalog: The digital shop window
On Facebook and Instagram (Meta), you have the option to create a product catalog. On Facebook, it serves as a shop window on your profile and can be used for your ads. On Instagram, you can only use the catalog for ads. In both channels, the actual purchase takes place in your online shop.
Shoppable Posts and Product Tags: The interactive price tag
On Instagram and Pinterest, you can attach small signs (tags) to your product photos. The big advantage is that your products can be linked directly on the image. If your customers click a tag, they are immediately taken to the matching product page in your webshop.
Shop the Look: The digital fashion magazine
“Shop the Look” is similar to Shoppable Posts, but goes one step further: here not only various individual items, but a whole outfit or a completely furnished room is shown. All visible items in the image are linked directly or in the caption. A click on the respective product leads directly to the shop. This feature is especially popular on Pinterest.
Live shopping: Teleshopping 2.0
Do you remember the classic sales channels on television? Live shopping works exactly like that, only more interactive. A person (e.g. an influencer or retailer) presents products in a livestream, tries them out or demonstrates them. Viewers can ask questions live and buy the shown product immediately with a click while the show is running. This feature is currently fully available only in the TikTok Shop.
Product links in videos: The digital shortcut
This format is especially popular on TikTok and YouTube: someone presents a product in a video, for example a new coffee machine. Instead of viewers having to search for the name laboriously, a link pops up directly in the video or in the description. A click on it takes customers to the checkout or product page in the fastest way.
Relevance of the platforms
If you are wondering which channels you should focus on, the figures from the Online Retailer Survey 2025 can help you. In the figure below, you can see which platforms the survey participants consider the most relevant from their perspective.
Instagram & Facebook
Meta's product catalogs (Instagram and Facebook) are still the most frequently used channels for Social Commerce and were perceived as the most revenue-relevant.
Instagram is relevant or rather relevant for 43 percent of the retailers surveyed.
Facebook follows closely behind with 41 percent.
Features such as Product tags (Tagging) in posts and stories work very well here to drive traffic to your shop.
The Facebook Marketplace also stands out as a relevant platform in the survey. You can think of it as a huge digital flea market where used and new items are bought and sold (similar to eBay or Ricardo).
TikTok
Much is said about TikTok, but its relevance for Swiss retail is still low. The in-app marketplace "TikTok Shop" is considered relevant by only 9 percent of retailers. For the vast majority, the platform is therefore still not an issue. This is probably also because features such as TikTok Shop are not yet available or established in Switzerland (as of January 2026). For you, this means: keep an eye on TikTok, but do not stress if you have not been active there so far.
3. Benefits for online retailers
Even if revenue is not always generated directly via the platforms, Social Commerce offers benefits that you should not miss. The practice offers opportunities for brands of every size.
According to the Online Retailer Survey 2025, retailers see the following points in particular as a gain:
Direct approach to target customers
59 percent of retailers appreciate being able to reach their target group directly. Unlike a newspaper ad that all readers see, you can filter very precisely on social media. If you sell handmade ceramics, for example, you do not simply show your vases to "everyone", but specifically only to users who are interested in "interior design" and "sustainability". Thanks to personalization, you therefore reach exactly the people most likely to buy your products. This saves advertising budget and allows you to reach your customers faster. In addition, potential customers have to click, search or wait less, and for this reason cancel their purchases less often. This leads to higher conversions.
Encouraging impulse purchases
54 percent of respondents see this as the biggest lever. Social media is a place of inspiration. A user may not even be actively looking for a new coffee mug, but sees an aesthetic image in your feed and immediately thinks: "I need that!" Through visual presentation, you awaken needs that did not exist before. The emotional impulse leads directly to the purchase before rational doubts ("Do I really need this?") arise.
More interaction with (potential) customers
Social Commerce goes beyond the pure transaction. It enables you to build a lively community around your brand. You receive direct feedback through comments and likes ("Which color do you prefer? Blue or red?"). Customers can ask questions, exchange views with each other and make recommendations. This closeness creates trust and binds customers to your brand in the long term. This is something an anonymous online shop usually cannot offer.
In the following graphic, you will find further benefits mentioned by the online retailers:
4. Challenges and best practices
Challenges
As promising as Social Commerce sounds, it is not a sure-fire success. In day-to-day business, you will encounter hurdles that you should be aware of:
Logistics and expectations
Social media is extremely fast-moving. Anyone who sees a product there and clicks spontaneously often also expects their purchases to be processed at lightning speed. Your customer service and your logistics must be able to keep up with this pace. This also means that you must respond to questions in comments or direct messages (DMs) much faster than to a classic email.
The data jungle
The technological integration is often trickier than expected. Cleanly linking data from Instagram and more with your own CRM system or online shop can quickly become complex. Without clean data management, you risk losing track of stock levels or maintaining customer data twice.
The constant battle for attention
The competition does not sleep and your customers' feed is full. To stay visible, it is not enough to upload a product photo from time to time. You need continuous creative and authentic content that entertains and stands out. Posting once and waiting is not enough – community management takes time and resources.
"Invisible" products have a harder time
Not everything can be sold visually equally well. While fashion or decor items shine in pictures, "invisible" products have a harder time. Complex B2B software or abstract services are often less effectively marketed through purely visual channels than lifestyle products that can simply be photographed.
Best Practices
Authenticity always wins:
High-gloss advertising photos are often ignored. Instead, use User-Generated Content (UGC), that is, photos and videos that your real customers have created. If you work with influencers, make sure that they really fit your brand and are credible.
Optimize the mobile experience:
Forget desktop. Social Commerce takes place almost exclusively on the smartphone. Make sure that the checkout process on mobile works absolutely flawlessly and at lightning speed. Nothing kills the desire to buy faster than a page that cannot be used on the small display.
