Social Commerce and Shoppable Creator Content: What Changes Toward 2027

Social commerce means that people discover and buy products directly in or via social media – through shop features, product links, live shopping and creator content. It is growing fast: EMARKETER forecasts US social commerce sales of nearly 119 billion dollars in 2027, and CreatorIQ’s latest State of Creator Marketing report shows that 48 percent of brands have already integrated creator commerce into their strategy. In Sweden, 36 percent had shopped via social media in the past year according to Adyen’s 2024 retail survey. Toward 2027, brands need content that is built to be bought from – with usage rights, tracking and clear ad labelling planned from the start.

Here we explain what social commerce and shoppable creator content are, what the numbers say, what is changing toward 2027 and how to get started.

What is social commerce?

Social commerce is the part of e-commerce where the purchase journey happens in social channels. It ranges from a creator’s discount code in an Instagram story to a product link in a TikTok video, a live shopping broadcast or an in-app shop where the whole purchase happens without leaving the platform.

Creator commerce is the part of social commerce that runs through creators and well-known personalities: the person shows, tests or recommends a product, and the audience can buy directly from that content. Affiliate links, where the creator earns a commission on sales, are a common model.

How big is social commerce – and how fast is it growing?

In the US, EMARKETER has estimated that TikTok Shop accounted for nearly 20 percent of social commerce in 2025 and forecasts that social commerce will reach nearly 119 billion dollars in 2027, with TikTok Shop making up nearly a quarter (Retail Dive, 2025). TikTok Shop has been available in the UK since 2021 and launched in France, Germany and Italy in March 2025, according to TechCrunch.

In Sweden, online shopping is at a record level: PostNord’s E-barometern reports that Swedish e-commerce reached 153 billion kronor in 2025, up 10 percent. Adyen’s retail survey from 2024 found that 36 percent of Swedes had shopped via social media in the past year, spending 17.3 billion kronor in 2023. About half of 16–29-year-olds had bought something they found in their social feed, compared with one in five among 59–77-year-olds.

Why does creator content drive social commerce?

Because people buy from people they trust. Sprout Social reports that 64 percent of social media users are willing to buy more from a brand when it partners with an influencer they like – 76 percent among Gen Z – and that 86 percent of consumers make a purchase inspired by an influencer at least once a year. Genuine reviews were named the most compelling type of influencer content by 64 percent.

Creator content also performs well as advertising. According to CreatorIQ’s Creator-Powered Funnel report, creator content makes up 44 percent of brands’ paid media creative on average, and 77 percent of paid media marketers say it outperforms traditional branded ads – most often on click-through rate (65 percent) and conversion rate (58 percent). Linqia found that 81 percent of enterprise marketers say repurposed influencer content outperforms brand-created assets.

What changes in social commerce toward 2027?

• Creator commerce becomes a core strategy. CreatorIQ reports that 80 percent of brands use creator commerce for selected products or campaigns, 48 percent have integrated it into their strategy, and 68 percent of the brands that make it a core part report a return of three times or more.

• Live shopping moves up the agenda. In Influencer Marketing Hub’s latest Benchmark Report, 62 percent of respondents ranked live shopping among their three most effective formats.

• Tracking moves into the platforms. Promo codes (45.9 percent), affiliate links (26 percent) and native shop features (25 percent) are the most common ways to track influencer sales, according to the same report – and shop features make the link between content and purchase easier to see.

• Transparency rules tighten. The last deferred technical requirements of the EU AI Act apply from 2 February 2027, and the European Commission is preparing a Digital Fairness Act, planned to be proposed before 2027, that is expected to regulate influencer marketing.

The result is that creator collaborations in 2027 will increasingly be judged on sales as well as reach – which puts higher demands on planning, rights and measurement.

How do you make creator content shoppable?

1. Choose the right products

Products that are easy to understand, show and buy on impulse often work best in social channels. Start with a few products where the creator’s audience is a natural match.

2. Build the content around real use

Tutorials, unboxings, tests and everyday situations show the product in use and give the audience a reason to buy. Let the creator tell the story in their own tone – content that feels genuine performs better.

3. Agree usage rights and paid amplification

If the best content should be used in ads or on product pages, agree on it in the contract. CreatorIQ found that securing usage rights is a major barrier for 54 percent of paid media marketers.

4. Make the purchase easy

Use product links, discount codes and shop features where they are available, and make sure the landing page matches what the creator showed.

5. Measure over time

Influencer-driven purchases often happen days or weeks after exposure. Combine codes and links with longer attribution windows, and look at sales trends rather than single days.

What rules apply to social commerce in Sweden?

Shoppable creator content is still marketing. Under the Marketing Act, it must be clear at first glance that a sponsored post is advertising, and Konsumentverket states that payment can consist of money or other benefits, such as products. Affiliate links and discount codes where the creator earns money on sales should therefore be treated as commercial relationships and labelled. The company has the main responsibility, and serious violations can lead to a fee of up to four percent of annual turnover.

What does this mean for Swedish brands?

Social commerce rewards the same things as good influencer marketing: the right person, a credible story and content planned for several channels. When Collabri launched Fazer Domino in Sweden, creator content on TikTok and Instagram was combined with a paid strategy from the start and reached over 3.5 million views and 14,000 interactions. A well-known personality can create the attention that makes a launch visible, while creators and shop features turn interest into purchases.

Key takeaways

• Social commerce is buying directly in or via social media, often through creator content.

• EMARKETER forecasts US social commerce of nearly 119 billion dollars in 2027.

• 36 percent of Swedes had shopped via social media in the past year (Adyen, 2024).

• Creator commerce is becoming a core strategy and is linked to higher returns.

• Plan products, usage rights, tracking and ad labelling from the start.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between social commerce and influencer marketing?

Influencer marketing is about using creators and personalities to reach and influence an audience. Social commerce is about the purchase happening in or via social channels. Creator commerce combines the two.

Is TikTok Shop available in Sweden?

TikTok Shop has expanded to several European markets, including the UK, Germany, France and Italy. Check TikTok’s own information for which markets are currently open to Swedish sellers and buyers.

Do shoppable posts need to be labelled as advertising?

Yes. If a creator is paid, receives products or earns commission on sales, the post must be clearly labelled as advertising under the Swedish Marketing Act.

How do you measure social commerce?

Track sales through codes, links and shop features, use attribution windows of several weeks and combine the result with reach, engagement and brand effects.

Want to turn creator content into sales – with the right personalities, creators and paid media in one plan? Contact Collabri at info@collabri.se.

Sources

• EMARKETER – Influencer marketing set to surpass $13 billion by 2027 (2025): https://www.emarketer.com/content/influencer-marketing-set-surpass--13-billion-by-2027

• Retail Dive – TikTok Shop is driving social commerce growth (2025): https://www.retaildive.com/news/tiktok-shop-drives-social-commerce-growth/807665/

• CreatorIQ – State of Creator Marketing 2026–2027 (2026): https://www.creatoriq.com/white-papers/state-of-creator-marketing-trends-2027

• CreatorIQ – Creator Content Now Powers 44% of Paid Media Creative (2026): https://www.creatoriq.com/press/releases/creator-powered-funnel-report-2026

• Adyen – Svenskar handlar för 17 miljarder via sociala medier (2024): https://www.adyen.com/sv_SE/press-och-media/swedes-shop-17bn-social-commerce

• PostNord (via Cision) – Rekordår för svensk e-handel – högsta omsättningen någonsin (2026): https://news.cision.com/se/postnord-sverige/r/rekordar-for-svensk-e-handel---hogsta-omsattningen-nagonsin,c4307211

• TechCrunch – TikTok to launch TikTok Shop in France, Germany, and Italy (2025): https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/27/tiktok-to-launch-tiktok-shop-in-france-germany-and-italy/

• Sprout Social – Influencer marketing trends 2026 (2026): https://sproutsocial.com/insights/influencer-marketing-trends/

• Sprout Social – 32 Influencer marketing statistics to know in 2026 (2026): https://sproutsocial.com/insights/influencer-marketing-statistics/

• Linqia – 2026 State of Influencer Marketing (2026): https://www.linqia.com/2026-state-of-influencer-marketing/

• Influencer Marketing Hub – Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report 2026 (2026): https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-benchmark-report/

• Paul, Weiss – EU Finalises Transparency Rules for AI-Generated Content (2026): https://www.paulweiss.com/insights/client-memos/eu-finalises-transparency-rules-for-ai-generated-content

• Covington & Burling (Global Policy Watch) – What to Watch in 2026: Key Developments in EMEA Consumer Protection (2026): https://www.globalpolicywatch.com/2026/02/what-to-watch-in-2026-key-developments-in-emea-consumer-protection/

• Konsumentverket – Influencers reklaminlägg – regler för företag: https://www.konsumentverket.se/marknadsratt-foretag/influencers-reklaminlagg-regler-for-foretag/

This article was written with the help of AI and reviewed by Collabri.