The insight: Gen Z shoppers are more likely to discover products on social media than on search engines like Google, according to a report by creator management platform Grin.

• Over half of Gen Zers find products most often on Instagram (30.4%) and TikTok (23.2%).
• Just 18.8% listed Google as their top source for product discovery, underscoring the platform’s fading relevance among younger audiences as social search gains traction.

Behind the numbers: Younger consumers’ growing reliance on social media for product discovery is unsurprising given both the sheer amount of time they spend on social apps and the increasingly commercial focus of platforms like TikTok and Pinterest. Social media also enables users to learn about new products or trends without actively searching for them, helping to grow awareness and drive impulse purchases.