‘Future of shopping is global, social, and powered by AI,’ says Meta

New Delhi: Ever since digital has taken the world by storm, geographical barriers have collapsed substantially. This collapse is brewing a new breed of global consumers - curious, connected, and increasingly spontaneous in their buying habits. 

Fueling this shift is the convergence of technology, personalisation, and content-led discovery, and Meta is positioning itself as the flag bearer of this transformative cross-border commerce. 

According to a new study commissioned by Meta in collaboration with Kantar, nearly half of the 14,591 consumers surveyed across markets had made a cross-border purchase in the past six months. Of these, 71% expressed willingness to try new brands discovered online, while 72% said they would do so if the right offer came along.

Digital discovery

According to Meta, “Discovery is everything.” In fact, 40% of respondents said they follow creators specifically to discover international products, while more than a third acknowledged that personalised ads led to new shopping experiences.

Sharing his two cents on the subject matter, Gaurav Jeet Singh, Director - Agency & VC Partnership, Meta (India), said, “Cross-border business is a powerful driver of economic growth and opportunity.” He noted that Meta’s platforms - Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp - are not just engagement tools but are “designed to help businesses of all sizes reach new customers and markets around the world.” 

“With tools like AI, Business Messaging, and Reels, we are empowering Indian businesses to seamlessly connect with customers across the globe,” Singh said. 

Rikki Aggarwal, Co-founder, Blink Digital, said, “Meta is the platform of choice for discovering brands and driving performance. With over $200M in ad spends from India to global markets for Blink Digital, we’ve seen firsthand how borderless ambition meets measurable performance.” 

Personalisation as performance

Meta stated that personalisation is now becoming an expectation more rapidly than ever before. This is etched in the survey findings done by Meta. According to it, 62% of cross-border shoppers want shopping experiences tailored to their preferences, and 61% want relevant product recommendations. 

Personalisation is the building block of high-performing segments, or a robust movable middle. This allows the business to not burn their capital on low-performing segments. This was highlighted by Andrew Squillace, Chief Marketing Officer, Muddy Mat. 

Sharing his experience of harnessing Meta’s tools like Bid Multipliers, Squillace said, “Bid multipliers are a great tool for testing new demographics and prioritizing spend towards more profitable audiences. We’ve seen a significant impact on our business by shifting budgets away from low-performing segments and maximizing returns from high-value ones.” 

This was echoed by Shahroz Alam, Head of Digital, Mirraw, who claimed to have achieved an improved ROI and reduced spend inefficiencies. 

The soft power of trust and convenience 

While price and product still matter, it’s social validation that often tips the scale in favour of a purchase. The study revealed that 40% of shoppers rely on recommendations from their network, and 31% discover new brands through influencers.

According to Meta, collaborating with creators and encouraging authentic reviews can help brands build credibility and foster lasting relationships with customers across borders.

Convenience is as critical an aspect as trust. With 57% of shoppers reporting an increase in spontaneous purchases, convenience and experience design are central to growth. From live shopping events to short-form video and AR product exploration (used by 41% of respondents), content is not just a marketing vehicle, it’s part of the product experience.

From creator-led discovery to AI-driven personalisation and immersive, frictionless journeys, the rules of commerce are being rewritten in real-time.

Meta’s insights not only highlight the changing dynamics of consumer behaviour but also offer a blueprint for businesses to scale across borders without losing authenticity. In this new paradigm, performance isn’t just about reach - it’s about relevance.