Orisha Commerce analyses Gen Z’s new shopping journeys

62% of young Spanish trust the products recommended by ChatGPT

• According to the study ‘Tomorrow’s Consumers’, carried out by Orisha Commerce in collaboration with OpinionWay, 40% already use ChatGPT to find out about products and 33% have made purchases via this channel.
• Social media continues to lead the way in product discovery: 88% use it to find out about products and 45% already make purchases via live shopping formats.
• Although 39% make purchases following a recommendation from an influencer, 64% are wary of the products these profiles promote in sponsored content.

Artificial Intelligence is gaining ground as a factor influencing the purchasing decisions of young Spaniards. This is revealed in the study ‘Tomorrow’s Consumers’, produced by Orisha Commerce in collaboration with OpinionWay based on a survey of 800 young people aged between 15 and 25, which indicates that 40% already use ChatGPT to find out about products. Of these, 62% say they trust the recommendations offered by this technology.

The growing adoption of AI is not limited to the consultation phase. 33% of respondents say they have made a purchase via such platforms, confirming their gradual integration into the purchasing process. However, some reservations remain, as 37% admit they do not yet trust these tools, mainly due to a preference for human advice (55%) and a fear of receiving incorrect recommendations (48%).

Thus, the combination of technology and human staff is emerging as a key element for brands, especially considering that only 20% of consumers have used a chatbot to complete their purchase.

Social media remains the leading channel for product discovery

Despite advances in artificial intelligence, social media continues to be the main channel for product discovery and conversion. 88% of young people use social media to find out about products, with TikTok (68%) and Instagram (60%) leading the way, followed by YouTube as the third most popular option (40%).

The study also highlights the growth of live shopping in our country. Indeed, 45% of young people have already made purchases via live streams on TikTok or Instagram. Furthermore, 49% admit to having made a purchase after seeing an advert on social media, whilst 91% say they have bought products they discovered by chance on these platforms.

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Advertising is effective, but audiences are becoming increasingly critical

The data suggests that social media advertising remains effective, though the picture is not entirely straightforward. 83% of young people view sponsored content positively, particularly when it is personalised, and 84% consider it useful for discovering new brands. However, 79% believe there are too many adverts.

Similarly, 72% say they prefer social media advertising to traditional media, and 69% acknowledge that this type of content increases their desire to buy the product. This context reinforces the importance of segmentation and the relevance of the message for brands.

Influencers: high impact, lower credibility

Influencer marketing presents a more complex picture. Although these profiles still have the power to influence purchasing decisions, trust in their messages is waning. 64% of young people are wary of products explicitly promoted in sponsored content, highlighting a growing gap between the influence they generate and the credibility they are perceived to have.

This scenario points to a change in the rules of the game: users increasingly value authenticity and penalise overly commercial messages, forcing brands to rethink their strategies towards more organic and transparent formats.