An OpinionWay survey for Orisha deciphers the new purchasing paths of Gen Z in France and Spain. They are marked, among others, by the rise of AI.
Among French 15-25 year olds, commerce no longer starts on a search engine. No more in a store or on a brand site : it starts in the streams, in the recommendations, in content that captures attention and transforms desire into purchase. The OpinionWay study was carried out in France among 804 young people, for Orisha Commerce. It shows that social networks are now the main entry point in the purchasing journey, from product discovery to conversion. Artificial intelligence is already establishing itself in commercial uses without yet establishing itself as a natural authority. The rocker is clear. To discover products, young French people rely primarily on content distributed on social networks (59 %), before advertising (52 %). Recommendations from relatives follow at 39%, ahead of traditional search engines (33 %). AI tools have already entered this information landscape, with 29% of young people saying they discovered products this way.
Essential TikTok
This domination is confirmed when searching for information before purchasing. When young people find out about a product, 82% say they turn primarily to social networks. Indeed, these are today the only channels bringing together a majority of users. In details, TikTok establishes itself as the leading product information platform : it is consulted at 66%. Follow Instagram (44 %), et YouTube (38 %). ChatGPT, Gemini and other generative AI are already, as for them, consulted by 35% of 15-25 year olds, in front of popular brand sites (32 %), online comparators (17 %), and the forums (11 %).
Social commerce in use
Social networks are no longer simple spaces of influence : they are now full-fledged shopping spaces. The numbers show it : 44% of young people surveyed have already purchased via live shopping on TikTok, Instagram or Snapchat. 24% on Instagram Shop, 32 % via Facebook Marketplace, 27% with the support of an AI tool, and 17% via a chatbot. The OpinionWay study for Orisha Commerce also shows that almost half of respondents buy a product seen advertised on social networks at least once a month. (46 %) versus 38% a product recommended by influencers, and 33% a product recommended by an AI.
Impulsive buying becomes a massive fact
This is one of the strongest signals from the study : more than 8 out of 10 young people say they have already purchased a product discovered by chance on social networks (83 %), and almost one in two (42 %) " often ". The transition from exposure to purchase is therefore not only real, but common. Young people also have a generally positive relationship with sponsored content when it is deemed relevant. : 81% appreciate them when they are personalized, 77% believe that they allow them to discover products or new brands, and 69% consider that they often make you want to buy. However, this adhesion is accompanied by true lucidity : 71% believe that this content is too numerous, while 74% are suspicious of products promoted by influencers.
AI is on par with influencers
AI is certainly entering the purchasing journey, but its status remains ambivalent. Young people recognize its obvious usefulness, although they do not yet place greater trust in it than human or social sources already established. When respondents are asked about the sources they trust, 82% of them cite user reviews and 76% cite specialized media. And if they are asked about their perception of “human” influencers, then the observation is obvious : indeed, at 59%, AI reaches a level of influence almost equivalent to that of human influencers (62 %). AI-generated influencers reach 40%. The brakes are precisely identified : 46% fear receiving incorrect advice, then 36% doubt the ability of AI to really understand preferences. Added to 28% are questions about commercial bias, 26% want to protect their personal data, and 17% the lack of transparency of algorithms.
Commercial AI in the legitimation phase
« If commercial AI advances quickly, it does not mechanically replace trust. Our survey shows that young people are adopting new uses quickly while remaining demanding about the quality of advice., the transparency and credibility of the recommendations”, constate Jessica Ifker, CEO Orisha Commerce. An ambivalence that is found in behavior : 52% of young people say they have never made a purchase via a conversational AI tool and do not wish to do so, while 64% say they can do without AI to make their purchases. At the same time, 33% wish to use it more in the future. Commercial AI is therefore very present, but it remains in the experimentation and legitimization phase.
Methodology : study carried out online from February 26 to March 4, 2026 with a sample of 1,604 people aged 15 to 25, representative of this population (804 in France, and 800 in Spain).
