The influence of social media on consumer purchase decisions in Italy: a category-based analysis

The increasing pervasiveness of social media has reshaped consumer decision-making dynamics (Morrison et al., 2009; Appel et al., 2020), raising important questions regarding the differential influence these platforms have across product categories (Cherubini, 2015; Leung et al., 2015). This paper investigates the extent to which social media influences the purchasing decisions of Italian consumers, adopting a behavioural perspective grounded in consumer decision theory and social influence frameworks. Drawing on data from Stetoscopio – Il sentire degli Italiani (2024), which comprises two waves of nationally representative CAWI-based surveys (N = 1,000 each), the study applies both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques — including chi-square tests — to examine the relationship between product typologies and perceived social media influence. Results indicate that 65% of respondents report being influenced by social media in their purchasing decisions, rising to 83% among 25–34-year-olds and 92% among 18–24-year-olds. The most affected categories include clothing and footwear (37%), travel (28%), and consumer electronics (28%). In contrast, primary goods (i.e., groceries and home maintenance) display lower but statistically significant influence. These findings contribute to the literature on digital consumer behaviour by demonstrating the uneven impact of social media across consumption domains. The study argues that excellence in digital marketing requires segment-specific strategies that reflect the symbolic and functional value of different product types.