New surprising research shows that notions about Gen Z – you may call them Zoomers – prefer shopping in stores over online.
Understanding how different generations shop remains one of the most baffling things for both suppliers and retailers and a new study just out proves the point.
They’ve been called the first digitally native generation in history but it turns out Gen Z, between the ages of 18 and 26, are more likely to shop in stores than online. A new study from Wakefield Research finds that 61 percent of these consumers are heading for stores first when they want to buy something.
The surprising news is due to several factors, the research shows. Half of the 1,000 respondents who answered the survey said they spent more wisely when shopping in-person while 40 percent believed they were more confident in what they bought when the purchase occurred in a store. This comes as three-quarters of the group said they bought things online they didn’t need because it was just easy to hit that “buy” button. About a third of the group admitted they spent more online than they were likely to do in a store.
Less surprising was that the vast majority – 90% -- of the Zoomer respondents said rising cost of living rates were impacting their purchasing patterns while half said they were looking out for deals and bargains as they paid more attention to their overall spending levels.
The research also showed that about half of the respondents had returned at least a portion of their online purchases due to quality issues and a similar amount are likely to shop at retailers they already know and trust.
Each generation has its own shopping preferences and Zoomers are no different...even if they seem to break the patterns set by their predecessor generation, the Millennials. Makes you wonder what’s next, doesn’t it?