Creator Storefronts and the New Aisle of Commerce

Gen Z doesn’t shop in straight lines; they shop in circles of trust. They treat credible creators like informed peers, not pitchmen. The right video is an intro, demo, review, and shelf-talker in 30 seconds, on a platform they live on. The less you interrupt that experience, the faster intent becomes purchase.

Today, “add to cart” doesn’t live at one address, it lives wherever attention does. Some doors take payment (brand D2C, retailer PDPs). Others usher you there (creator storefronts, LTK/ShopMy pages, Reels, Pins). If you’re not findable in-feed and buyable in a few taps, you’re already losing.

Our US VP of New Business, Jess, breaks down the doors to checkout and the new face of e-commerce for the social-first generation.

What is a door?

A door (in this context) is where intent forms and a tap moves you closer to payment. There are destination doors (they process the transaction) and routing doors (they deep-link you to the fastest path, that is, retailer cart, brand.com, even an app wallet. 

Pinterest board → brand.com. 

IG Reel → Target creator storefront → Target cart. 

LTK collection → Amazon, Walmart, or D2C. 

Same outcome: tap → cart → confirmation.

Amazon clocked it early: people sell to people. In 2017, it beta-launched the Amazon Influencer Program, an affiliate-style model that let creators turn recommendations into revenue, and traffic into carts. Retail followed. Walmart, Target, Expedia and more recognised the potential impact of creator storefronts on their bottom line; and now Lowe’s has entered with their own affiliate creator network, plus a MrBeast tie-in as sponsor/partner around Beast Games, aimed squarely at Gen Z (and the parents they nudge). 

Jess’s scoop: “Lowe’s creator program is a smart read on the room. The home improvement retailer recognised a gap: their shoppers’ inspiration lives on creator screens, not in Sunday mailers. 

Younger homeowners and renters don’t start with a search box, they start in the feed. And when the feed routes them to a cart or a storefront hosted by a trusted creator, you’ve collapsed two problems at once: How do they find us? and How do we make it painless to buy?

The brands that haven’t moved yet aren’t losing awareness; they’re losing relevance at the exact moment purchase intent forms.”

WHY THIS SHIFT MATTERS

Peer to Peer Default 

To Gen Z, credible creators read like peers, so recommendations feel like word-of-mouth, not ads. GWI’s data consistently shows Gen Z over-indexing on discovering brands via influencer endorsements Gen Z holds trust in human content through lived experiences. They look to creators they follow with trust and authority, and naturally discovering products through them. 26% of Gen Z use video sites when actively looking for information about brands and are 29% more likely than the average person to discover new brands through influencer endorsements

Fast Checkouts and Delivery 

Speed wins; friction kills. Fast delivery is table stakes; vague timelines and clunky checkout drain intent. If your shipping and payment stack can’t keep up with your content velocity, you’re financing competitors. 

Retailer gravity

Gen Z still buys where the habit is strongest. In the U.S., 73% of Gen Z teens shopped Amazon in 2023; mass merchandisers like Target and Walmart sit comfortably north of 50%. 

So, why creator storefronts? The storefront element makes an affiliate program stand out to creators and provide the most frictionless path to purchase. A solid amount of companies have wised up to the idea of creator affiliate programs but the ones that invest to build out the proper infrastructure around it will be most successful. 

For creators, a storefront is a living catalogue while keeping potential buyers on a trusted retailer’s website. 

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE, and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs.

@sociallypowerful