MANILA - Online sellers, in order to cater to millennials, must combine their e-commerce platform with social media elements, an analyst said Friday.

Shoppers online check several platforms, including Facebook and Instagram before deciding on a purchase, said Altus Digital Capital director and co-founder Randy McGraw.

"It synthesizes and brings together into a single platform both community elements, media elements layered in with the e-commerce buying experience. It is what millennial consumers are demanding in a unique buying and shopping experience online," McGraw told ANC's Market Edge with Cathy Yang.

Brands gravitate towards social e-commerce because it gives them insights on what consumers want to do and how they interact with products said, McGraw.