A growing number of consumers are placing high importance on the ability to discover and purchase products directly though social media platforms, rising by 28 per cent in the past year, according to research from Bazaarvoice.

The survey of more than 2,000 consumers across the UK, US, France, and Germany found that 33 per cent of UK consumers now place importance on being able to purchase products through social platforms.

The report also gathered insights from 500 of Bazaaarvoice’s clients. Of the UK brands and retailers surveyed, 91 per cent agreed that visual content makes for a more engaging shopping experience. In addition, the pointed to additional benefits of visual content including enhanced discoverability (86 per cent), deepened brand trust (77 per cent), and increased conversion (73 per cent).

27 per cent of these clients reported featuring visual content from social media on their product pages, with 53 per cent saying they plan to in the near future.

“The retail landscape has continued to shift over the last year, as modern consumers seek unique shopping experiences, new engagement and purchase channels and an increased level of brand and product transparency and authenticity,” said Joe Rohrlich, CRO at Bazaarvoice. “Brands and retailers that recognise these evolving preferences and deliver informative, interactive experiences online and offline can both retain their existing customers and attract new ones.”