Kaspersky’s shopping survey of 7,200 online shoppers in 18 countries found that 48% of Gen Z find deals through social media and creators.
Baby Boomers (61+) shop differently. Among them, 39% go straight to online store websites and 38% favour search engine results. Kaspersky also warns about scammers, from AI-generated sellers on TikTok and Instagram to fake sites reached through email or messenger links.
The company ran the survey in August 2026 ahead of the sales season. Saudi Arabia is one of the 18 countries, but the release gives no country-level figures. Across all age groups, 42% find offers through brand websites and apps, 41% through social media and creators, 36% through online ads, and 35% through ads on marketplaces. Search engines reach 32%.
Gen Z leans furthest towards social platforms, with 45% of Millennials close behind. Among Gen Z, 41% cite brand websites and 41% online advertising, 20% are swayed by brand messages in messaging apps, and 19% by AI recommendations.
Email is fading with the youngest shoppers. Promotional emails resonate with about 30% of Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers, but only 26% of Gen Z. Traditional advertising draws only moderate interest, roughly on a par with AI shopping tools (17%). Boomers show the most indifference: 11% say they don’t search for special offers at all, the highest share of any group.
Younger generations view shopping as an entertainment, while older generations approach it as a task, searching specifically for what they need. Unfortunately, regardless of the shopping strategy, none of the groups is immune to cyber threats.
Marina Titova, Vice President for Consumer Business at Kaspersky
Kaspersky says scammers on TikTok and Instagram use AI-generated characters to advertise “hand-made” items and “miraculous” medical products, and push people to pay directly. Buyers either receive a factory product sold far cheaper elsewhere or lose their money. Its advice for social media is to check whether the seller’s account is new or has been renamed several times. Be wary if comments are off or full of bot-like phrases. The company says TikTok and Instagram now require AI labels, so an unlabelled post that looks synthetic is a warning sign.
For payments, Kaspersky recommends the platform’s own checkout, such as Instagram Checkout or Facebook Pay, or a processor such as PayPal, since direct transfers carry no protection. It also suggests a dedicated debit or online card and transaction alerts on every bank and credit-card account. On websites, it warns against “flash sales” that sound too good to be true, pressure to decide instantly, and sellers who refuse returns. Check URLs for subtle misspellings, especially after an email or messenger link.
Kaspersky also promotes its own products. It says Kaspersky Premium earned “Approved” status in AV-Comparatives’ 2025 Fake Shops Detection test, and suggests Kaspersky Password Manager for storing card details. In an earlier Kaspersky survey of 15 countries, run in November 2025, 51% of UAE respondents used security software, but only 32% of those aged 55 and over did.
