How Gen Z Shops Today
Even the tech crowd appreciates a personal touch.
Dec 17, 2019
ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Despite their experience with technology from birth, Gen Z shoppers are highly influenced by the human factor when deciding what to purchase, reports Chain Store Age.
According to the “Z-Tail Report,” a survey of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers ages 18-24 from Retail Zipline, a workflow platform, only 7% of respondents look to celebrities for style inspiration. More than half (56%) do not copy trends they see on Instagram. However, 69% of respondents say they’ll take fashion advice from sales associates when shopping in stores, and 41% will engage with a sales associate if they like what they are wearing.
When asked what would prompt them to shop repeatedly at one specific brand, 19% of respondents said genuine relationships with specific store associates.
Survey respondents are also interested in how employers treat store associates, and more than 8 in 10 (82%) said they’re more likely to buy from a brand that has a reputation for ethical business practices. Of those respondents, 66% list fair treatment of employees as a key motivator. This exceeds the percentage of survey respondents who value eco-friendly packaging (59%), ethical sourcing (50%), donating profits to charity (48%) and vegan products (24%).
In another indicator that “constantly connected” Gen Z shoppers look beyond technology, 46% of respondents said that in-store mobile payments, such as Venmo or Apple Pay, don’t appeal to them. When asked what interaction they prefer with sales associates, the leading preference is a hands-on approach (65%), as opposed to a hands-off approach where the salesperson only assists when service is requested (35%).
Other notable findings include:
• 60% of women and 64% of men are more likely to shop from brands with a commitment to keep photos minimally photoshopped.
• 58% of the Gen Z respondents prefer to shop in stores with a longstanding presence in a particular location.
• 48% of women and 29% of men prefer brands that showcase multi-racial models.
• 41% of women and 25% of men prefer brands that use plus-sized models.
• Just 14% of women and 18% of men are influenced by celebrity endorsements.
• Only 11% choose to shop in stores that exist for a limited time, such as pop-ups.
Market share
