How do young people discover products (particularly cosmetics)? Where do they look for information? And how much do they rely on artificial intelligence when making purchases? These are the questions addressed by the OpinionWay survey conducted for Orisha (a French company specializing in technology solutions for the retail sector).
This study was conducted from February 26 to March 4, 2026, among 1,604 young people representative of the 15–25 age group in France (804 respondents) and Spain (800 respondents).
Social media, the first port of call for discovery
First finding: social media largely dominates young consumers’ discovery journey.
57% of respondents say they discovered new products through content on these platforms over the past 12 months, and 54% through advertising. Recommendations from friends and family and search engines follow, tied at 33%.
In France, recommendations from friends and family play a more significant role (39%, compared to 27% in Spain), as do magazines (19%, compared to 13%). Young Spaniards, on the other hand, are more receptive to AI (34%, compared to 29%) and online comparison sites (22%, compared to 11%).
When it comes to researching a product before buying it, social media stands out even more clearly: 86% of young people turn to it first.
TikTok is the go-to platform (68%), ahead of Instagram (53%), YouTube (42%), Pinterest (19%), and Facebook (14%). Spaniards place particular importance on Instagram (60%, compared to 44% in France) and YouTube (46%, compared to 38%).
Platforms that drive sales
Social …
