Social commerce vs. traditional eCommerce: Which model is right for your business?

The way people shop has changed - again. Just when brands thought they had nailed their eCommerce strategy, along comes social commerce, turning passive scrollers into active buyers.

Social media platforms like TikTok Shop, Instagram Checkout, and Facebook Marketplace have made it easier than ever for brands to sell directly within apps. And consumers love it. The global social commerce market is expected to hit $2.9 trillion by 2026, making it a tempting opportunity for businesses looking to grow.

But should you shift your focus to social commerce, or does traditional eCommerce still offer the most value? The answer isn’t one-size-fits-all. It depends on your audience, product type, and fulfilment strategy.

This article breaks down the pros and cons of each model, so you can decide which one (or both) is the right fit for your business. We’re in this together, people!

What is social commerce?

Social commerce is the process of selling products directly on social media platforms. Unlike traditional eCommerce, where users are redirected to a brand’s website to complete their purchase, social commerce allows customers to browse, add to cart, and check out without ever leaving the app.

Examples of social commerce platforms:

• TikTok Shop - Great for viral products and Gen Z buyers.
• Instagram Shopping - Ideal for brands with strong visual appeal.
• Facebook Marketplace - Used by local sellers and brands alike.
• Pinterest Shopping - Best for lifestyle, home décor, and fashion brands.
• YouTube Shopping - Integrates with influencer content and video ads.

This model works best for trend-driven, impulse-buy products, such as fashion, beauty, home décor and gadgets.

Why brands love social commerce

• Frictionless shopping journeys
  Customers can browse, click, and buy without ever leaving their favourite app. The fewer steps, the lower the risk of basket abandonment.
• Tapping into impulse purchases
  Ever seen a viral product sell out overnight? Social commerce thrives on instant gratification, making it the ideal space for brands with visually appealing, trend-driven products.
• Built-in trust & social proof
  User-generated content (UGC) is still king. Seeing real customers rave about your product in a TikTok or Instagram Reel is more convincing than any paid ad. In fact, many brands are now using UGC within their ads. We’ve come full circle.

Better engagement & brand loyalty
Social commerce allows for real-time interactions, from influencer collaborations to live shopping events, strengthening your brand’s connection with customers.

But there are challenges...

• Managing orders across multiple platforms: Selling on TikTok, Instagram, and your website? That’s three different channels to keep track of. Without a solid fulfilment strategy, things can get messy (quickly).

• Limited customisation & branding: With traditional eCommerce, you control everything - from the checkout experience to post-purchase emails. With social commerce, platforms dictate the process, limiting brand customisation.

• Tricky returns & customer service: What happens when a TikTok Shop order needs to be returned? Managing social commerce logistics isn’t always as streamlined as it is with a dedicated eCommerce site.

Traditional eCommerce: The case for owning your sales channel

While social commerce is the shiny new toy, traditional eCommerce is still the backbone of online retail. Running your own website - whether through Shopify, WooCommerce, or another platform - gives you full control over the shopping experience.

What is traditional eCommerce?

Traditional eCommerce is the classic online retail model, where brands sell through their own websites or third-party marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, or Etsy. Unlike social commerce, you own the entire sales journey, from website design to checkout and post-purchase communication.

Popular eCommerce platforms:

• Shopify
• WooCommerce
• Magento
• BigCommerce

This model is best suited for brands that want full control over their store, customer data, and long-term business strategy.

Why brands stick with traditional eCommerce

• Complete brand ownership
  From website design to checkout flow, you call the shots. No third-party algorithms deciding how visible your products are.
• More customer data & insights
  On your own platform, you get direct access to customer data, helping you personalise experiences, retarget, and build long-term loyalty.
• Stronger control over fulfilment & returns
  Orders from your website feed directly into your fulfilment system, keeping operations streamlined and efficient. Plus, you dictate the return policy - no unexpected social platform policies getting in the way.
• Better for high-value & subscription-based products
  For products that require trust-building (luxury, electronics, or subscription boxes), traditional eCommerce provides a better environment for storytelling and conversion.

But there are challenges...

• More steps to convert a customer
  With social commerce, users are already engaged. With traditional eCommerce, brands must work harder to drive traffic and reduce checkout friction.
• Higher acquisition costs
  Driving traffic to an eCommerce site requires investment in SEO, ads, and content marketing. Social commerce platforms, on the other hand, naturally expose products to more people. But don’t forget, organic reach is continuously decreasing, so buyer beware.
• Slower to capitalise on trends
  Social commerce thrives on instant buzz. Traditional eCommerce requires time to set up and market trending products effectively.

Which model is right for you?

If you’re a fast-moving consumer brand, selling trending or visually driven products, social commerce could be a game-changer. If you need long-term brand control, customer data, and a frictionless fulfilment process, traditional eCommerce is still the gold standard.

For many brands, the best strategy is a hybrid approach - using social commerce to attract customers and traditional eCommerce to retain them. The key is making sure your fulfilment process is equipped to handle both.

How to manage fulfilment for social commerce & eCommerce

Whether you’re selling through Instagram or your own website, getting orders out efficiently is non-negotiable. Here’s how fulfilmentcrowd helps brands scale across both models:

• Seamless order integration - Connect your sales channels (TikTok Shop, Shopify, WooCommerce, etc.) into one central fulfilment system.
• Global fulfilment network - Offer fast shipping across the UK and EU with local fulfilment centres that reduce delivery times and costs.
• Flexible, scalable solutions - Whether it’s viral product spikes or seasonal peaks, we handle demand surges effortlessly.
• Returns that don’t cost you sales - Make it easy for customers to return items, no matter where they purchased.

The future is omnichannel

The battle between social commerce and traditional eCommerce isn’t about choosing one over the other; it’s about seamlessly integrating both. The brands that thrive are those that can sell anywhere, fulfil everywhere, and deliver consistently across all channels.

That’s where we come in. While many fulfilment providers struggle with omnichannel, we’ve built our entire platform around it. Whether your customers check out through TikTok Shop, your own website, or a third-party marketplace, our fulfilment network ensures every order is processed, packed, and shipped with the same speed and precision.

With real-time inventory syncing, multi-channel order management, and a seamless returns process, we make sure your fulfilment strategy is as agile as your sales channels.

Get in touch today to find out how we can power your omnichannel growth - because the future isn’t just omnichannel. It’s already here. And so are we.