YouTube report analyzes the power of the YouTube Shopping ecosystem

The creator economy has changed how we shop. Now, for the first time, a new report is giving you a look behind the curtain at YouTube’s new “shoppable” era.

The latest Trends Report, released today by the YouTube Culture and Trends team, “YouTube Shopping: The Evolving World of Shopping on YouTube,” explores the powerful convergence of creators, content, and communities in driving purchases.

With fresh data from the shopping ecosystem, the YouTube Culture & Trends team analyzed the top 5,000 most-purchased products from the first half of 2025 and the top 1,000 videos by transaction on tagged products during a 60-day period in 2025. Additionally, the team researched hundreds of the past year’s trends from the world’s top markets and ran surveys with SmithGeiger, asking thousands of people about their interests and attitudes towards the internet. Respondents were people who are active online, age 14–49.

Our report found that the most successful shopping trends are driven by four key things:

CREATORS: Creators leverage their expertise and passion to become trusted sources, offering insights and solutions that address their viewers’ needs.

COMMUNITIES: Communities are a group of channels with a shared interest. In the world of shopping, these interests are based on products or product categories. The collective output of a given community becomes a powerful driver of purchasing decisions.

CONTENT FORMATS: Content formats, help shoppers search for, learn about, and ultimately buy products.

PRODUCT TRENDS: The synergy of creators, communities, and content formats transforms real-world trending products into even more popular online phenomena.

Inside the report, you'll find case studies on how this works in the real world—from creators like ChicOnTheCheap and CoryxKenshin to viral products like SACHEU’s Peel Off Lip Liner. These elements combine to drive real sales, turning viewers into customers and everyday products into cultural moments.

To see all the data and insights, read the full Culture & Trends Report.

_{*Source: Google/SmithGeiger, YouTube Trends Survey, US April 2025, N=500 online Gen Z age 14-24.}