Publication Date
2017
Document Type
Article
Abstract
Millennials are a technologically sophisticated generation, who have the purchasing power to change the face of retailing. A significant proportion of their shopping is done online and they utilize their social networks while engaging in the shopping process- a current area of interest termed “social commerce.” No single group is better positioned to take advantage of social commerce, and yet, it’s possible that Millennials are participating in social networks and online shopping in order to better define their social identities. This study summarizes data from three years of longitudinal research into the use of social media by Millennials on three platforms: Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. The results show that Millennials prefer to utilize the identity shaping aspects of social media and commerce. We recommend that platforms allow more identity formation in order to increase the likelihood that Millennials not only use the platform, but also make purchases through them.
Original Citation
Jacobsen, S. & Barnes, N.G. (2017). On Being Social: How Social Identity Impacts Social Commerce for the Millennial Shopper. International Journal of Management Science and Business Administration, 3(4), 38-45. https://doi.org/10.18775/ijmsba.1849-5664-5419.2014.34.1005
Virtual Commons Citation
Jacobsen, Stephanie and Barnes, Nora Ganim (2017). On Being Social: How Social Identity Impacts Social Commerce for the Millennial Shopper. In Management Faculty Publications. Paper 38.
Available at: https://vc.bridgew.edu/management_fac/38
Rights
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.