The heyday of the ’90s mallrat might be over, but Gen Z isn’t giving up on brick-and-mortar just yet.
A recent report from YouGov, the global online market research and data analytics firm, suggests that this young cohort is more inclined to spend time in physical stores.
“At a time when e-commerce maturity might suggest a steady drift away from stores, younger shoppers appear to be keeping physical retail firmly in their rotation,” YouGov stated.
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More than one in five Gen Z consumers (22 percent) say they shop in a clothing store at least once a month. That’s double the proportion of the general population. Fifty-one percent of Gen Z consumers also say they browse in stores to see what’s available, compared to 42 percent of all U.S. adults.
That’s not to say Gen Z is less inclined to endlessly scroll and click than their older counterparts. Half of Gen Z said they browned online to see what was available and 31 percent said they saw something online and bought it online.
However, Gen Z is more likely to translate online browsing to in-store shopping. YouGov reported that 15 percent of Gen Z consumers have seen something online and bought it in-store, compared to 10 percent of the general population.
The report also examined factors that influence Gen Z’s fashion purchases.
For Gen Z, price is the leading purchase driver, with fit, perceived value, and product quality ranking close behind. While other generations prioritize convivence—from the location of a store to its return policy—Gen Z shows more interest in fashionable clothing and design.
Though sustainability isn’t the primary driver of Gen Z’s purchasing decisions, it carries more weight for them than it does for other U.S. adults. YouGov found that 18 percent of Gen Z consumers consider sustainable clothing and production practices important when making purchases, compared with 13 percent of the broader U.S. population.
