Breaking Down Gen Z Shopping Habits

Ellen C. Wells

The folks at newsletter Retail Brew are endeavoring to help retailers understand the still-evolving shopping habits of Gen Z. It’s a tricky generation to nail down. On one hand, they have more choices—both in products and the numerous ways to purchase them. And on the other hand, they emerged as shoppers during a time of persistent background inflation and uncertainty. How do we even begin to understand how they shop?

To help with that, Retail Brew broke Gen Z’s shopping behaviors into three buckets.

Discovery first. Gen Z doesn’t just go to a retailer like Target, for instance, and see if they have what they need. They discover the products they need on social media channels such as TikTok and YouTube. Essentially, the recommendations from creators are functioning as search and recommendation engines. But discovery doesn’t mean they’ll buy something—they’ll bounce around to quite a few social sites before a final decision.

Highly selective. Yes, Gen Z has been found to participate in late-night impulse shopping, but they’re also big deal hunters as they compare prices. They’ll spend on products they see as worth it, but at the same time will wait for promotions, search for discount codes, shop resale and see if they can lower their shipping costs. Is your product higher priced? Prove to Gen Z why your product deserves a higher price tag.

Shopping stands for something. It’s not just transactional for Gen Z; it’s an act that underscores identity and values. Take the protein trend, for instance. Gen Z isn’t just buying food; they’re buying food that aligns with their health and fitness objectives.

Considering the above three buckets, how will you adjust your product marketing for Gen Z customers? GP