How Gen Z Shops
How Gen Z Shops Online
BADM 395
Sophia Zamberletti
Before We Get Started:
Generation Z is made up of kids - even though about half are actually adults - born anywhere from around 1997-2012. I am a part of Gen Z, which makes me semi qualified to speak on behalf of us. One main characteristic that defines so many characteristics of Gen Z is the fact that we grew with the internet. When it was time for new technology, we were the ones testing it out, and exploring the lengths of the internet from a young age, from curious eyes that generations before us did not have access to as they grew. Because of this, the way we shop, and consume, is completely different from generations before, and mainly occurs online. In this blog, I discuss my own personal experiences with the retail industry being a part of Generation Z. I mainly focus on clothing, social media, and my experience with mindful consumerism as a part of my journey into adulthood. There are a ton of ideas here, and I hope this blog post is interesting to read whether you are a part of Generation Z or not.
Generation Z is made up of kids - even though about half are actually adults - born anywhere from around 1997-2012. I am a part of Gen Z, which makes me semi qualified to speak on behalf of us. One main characteristic that defines so many characteristics of Gen Z is the fact that we grew with the internet. When it was time for new technology, we were the ones testing it out, and exploring the lengths of the internet from a young age, from curious eyes that generations before us did not have access to as they grew. Because of this, the way we shop, and consume, is completely different from generations before, and mainly occurs online. In this blog, I discuss my own personal experiences with the retail industry being a part of Generation Z. I mainly focus on clothing, social media, and my experience with mindful consumerism as a part of my journey into adulthood. There are a ton of ideas here, and I hope this blog post is interesting to read whether you are a part of Generation Z or not.
Why We Shop Online:
I think that one of the main reasons we shop online is because our life is there. Our opinions do not come from naturally occurring things we see around us (for the most part) which sounds so sad, but is genuinely true. For example, if I see a top I like, it's more than likely on someone's Instagram, or in a photo on Pinterest. If something catches my eye while I am already staring at a screen, why would I set my phone down, get in my car, drive to a store, and dig around for something like it, when I could click on a link and have it right there in 5 seconds? Another reason it's so easy for us to shop online is due to our insane social media consumption. The more time I spend liking, commenting, and sharing, the more personalized and likely I am to actually love the ads being shown in my feeds. Pinterest is a little all over the place, and while TikTok usually knows what to promote, Instagram has completely nailed my taste, and almost every ad on Instagram catches my eye and gets a click.
Using Our Resources or Not Thinking for Ourselves?
Another huge reason that I prefer online shopping is due to how easy it is to access other people’s opinions. Video reviews, try-on hauls, and unboxing videos are our generation’s version of word-of-mouth. When you think of seeing a photo online compared to having a physical product in your hands, which do you think you can evaluate more thoroughly? It seems obvious that having the product in front of you would give you more information, but in today’s world it really doesn’t. I’ll give you an example using a pair of jeans. If I walk into Macy’s and find a pair of jeans that I like I can evaluate the size, the fit, the color, the material, the price, etc. Lots of good information there. Now if I go on to the website and look at the exact same jeans, the only information I am missing out on is how they genuinely fit on my body in real life. Even though this seems pretty crucial, most of the time there's countless reviews saying if they run big or small, and if you should size up. Along with this, you get so much other information that you would not be able to find in store. For example, if it shrinks in the washer, if it pills easily, if the garment falls apart quickly, the care instructions, and more. Relying on social media before making any kind of purchase is getting to an extreme point, and some are even being criticized for asking the internet’s opinion. For example, I have seen TikTok’s where a creator is asking viewers “What is the new shoe we are wearing this summer?” and the comments are filled with other users claiming that they can’t think for themselves, or asking why they can’t wear last year’s shoes, or even saying that our generation is doomed because we cannot form our own opinions. It’s scary, and I discuss more about using the internet for research in the next paragraph, but we can see that the reliance on looking to others for opinions can feel sort of dystopian. It reminds me of AI, like how an amazing resource can have too much power if you let it make your decisions for you. To summarize this point, there are a thousand ways to find a thousand pieces of information about a products online, but when it's right in front of you, you only have yourself.
Another huge reason that I prefer online shopping is due to how easy it is to access other people’s opinions. Video reviews, try-on hauls, and unboxing videos are our generation’s version of word-of-mouth. When you think of seeing a photo online compared to having a physical product in your hands, which do you think you can evaluate more thoroughly? It seems obvious that having the product in front of you would give you more information, but in today’s world it really doesn’t. I’ll give you an example using a pair of jeans. If I walk into Macy’s and find a pair of jeans that I like I can evaluate the size, the fit, the color, the material, the price, etc. Lots of good information there. Now if I go on to the website and look at the exact same jeans, the only information I am missing out on is how they genuinely fit on my body in real life. Even though this seems pretty crucial, most of the time there's countless reviews saying if they run big or small, and if you should size up. Along with this, you get so much other information that you would not be able to find in store. For example, if it shrinks in the washer, if it pills easily, if the garment falls apart quickly, the care instructions, and more. Relying on social media before making any kind of purchase is getting to an extreme point, and some are even being criticized for asking the internet’s opinion. For example, I have seen TikTok’s where a creator is asking viewers “What is the new shoe we are wearing this summer?” and the comments are filled with other users claiming that they can’t think for themselves, or asking why they can’t wear last year’s shoes, or even saying that our generation is doomed because we cannot form our own opinions. It’s scary, and I discuss more about using the internet for research in the next paragraph, but we can see that the reliance on looking to others for opinions can feel sort of dystopian. It reminds me of AI, like how an amazing resource can have too much power if you let it make your decisions for you. To summarize this point, there are a thousand ways to find a thousand pieces of information about a products online, but when it's right in front of you, you only have yourself.
Conscious Consumerism
I am a huge environmentalist. I hate fast fashion, I hate polyester, and I hate waste. The lack of research and information and the surplus of impulse that occurs with in person shopping is not interesting to me. I go months and months without “shopping” in person at large retail stores, and when the holiday season comes, or I go to look around with friends, I feel so completely overwhelmed by the sales and the products everywhere, and I hate suddenly wanting things I would have never thought to purchase before. This is what I mean by the surge of impulse that occurs with in person shopping. Because I hate waste, I am very mindful about what I spend money on and put a lot of research into what I buy, which I know is becoming more and more common among my generation as we learn about all the terrible effects from consumerism. When I realize - through my own experience - that I need something, I look at many options, reviews, price points, and materials before I settle on what I know will be a long lasting, good purchase. When shopping in person, all of that mindfulness is thrown out of the window. Obviously this is not 100% of the time, and I still make impulse purchases now and then. Most consumers in my generation also don’t think in this hyper-conscious way, but I do believe there are enough of us to speak on this point. Another reason eco-conscious consumers like to shop online is due to the many websites that allow users to shop second hand from around the world. I can only go to my local Goodwill so many times before I start to see the same garments waiting to be bought for years and years. Online, however, sites like Depop and Poshmark, or even social media sites like Facebook Marketplace allow thrift enthusiasts to have access to so many more secondhand options than the generation before us. I personally have found something I want in person or online and then spent hours searching for that same product secondhand - one, so it may be cheaper and two, it would eliminate the extra waste.
I am a huge environmentalist. I hate fast fashion, I hate polyester, and I hate waste. The lack of research and information and the surplus of impulse that occurs with in person shopping is not interesting to me. I go months and months without “shopping” in person at large retail stores, and when the holiday season comes, or I go to look around with friends, I feel so completely overwhelmed by the sales and the products everywhere, and I hate suddenly wanting things I would have never thought to purchase before. This is what I mean by the surge of impulse that occurs with in person shopping. Because I hate waste, I am very mindful about what I spend money on and put a lot of research into what I buy, which I know is becoming more and more common among my generation as we learn about all the terrible effects from consumerism. When I realize - through my own experience - that I need something, I look at many options, reviews, price points, and materials before I settle on what I know will be a long lasting, good purchase. When shopping in person, all of that mindfulness is thrown out of the window. Obviously this is not 100% of the time, and I still make impulse purchases now and then. Most consumers in my generation also don’t think in this hyper-conscious way, but I do believe there are enough of us to speak on this point. Another reason eco-conscious consumers like to shop online is due to the many websites that allow users to shop second hand from around the world. I can only go to my local Goodwill so many times before I start to see the same garments waiting to be bought for years and years. Online, however, sites like Depop and Poshmark, or even social media sites like Facebook Marketplace allow thrift enthusiasts to have access to so many more secondhand options than the generation before us. I personally have found something I want in person or online and then spent hours searching for that same product secondhand - one, so it may be cheaper and two, it would eliminate the extra waste.
Purchases become Personality
When I think of previous generations and their style, it seems that each decade has been clearly defined by a specific aesthetic. The 80’s and the 90’s, for example, have such a clear identity in my mind. Gen Z has been defined by microtrends (trends that last just a season or two), thrifting vintage clothes, and overall the need to stand out and be unique: our clothing says something about us individually. Because of this, it’s hard to think there’s one specific store or aesthetic that defines our generation. Sure, there have been trends, but I personally think that our individual uniqueness is what defines us. Aside from clothing, our purchases reflect our identity just as strongly, and we like to focus on our own individual aesthetics, rather than just sticking to what is popular in the moment. The brands we wear represent who we are, and we like that.
Our Brains are Fried
We are the definition of screenagers (teenagers always staring at a screen). I will one thousand percent admit my screen time is genuinely concerning and my attention span may have a 5 second capacity. Gen Z shops online because it’s fast! Shopping in person might get boring for us. Shopping online means quick videos, links leading to links leading to reviews leading to a purchase, or closing the tab and getting back on TikTok. Shopping for us isn’t a hobby like it was previously, and it seems to me like malls are kind of dying anyway. I remember going to the Tuscola outlet mall as a kid, or Marketplace mall, and thinking about all of the stores I was excited to go to. Now, malls seem empty and boring, and even if the store has items I'm interested in, most of the time other sizes or styles are only carried online. If shopping in person just leads me to the internet, I’d rather be on the internet the whole time. Recently, actually, I was looking for a graduation dress. I was looking everywhere online for something I liked. Eventually, we decided to go to the Oak Brook Shopping Center to look. We were already in Chicago that day, so it wasn’t much extra to go and that mall is SO huge I was sure I would walk out of there with a dress. I was determined to. I went to probably 5 stores and tried on probably 20 dresses. I was exhausted by the end of it, and I had found nothing. My sister was successful, but as for me, either the sizes or styles I was hoping to find or try on were online, and the options in store weren’t working the way I wanted them to. When I was younger, I loved going to the mall. I could shop and shop and shop and was so excited to see everything, walk around, try things on. Now, more than one errand out of the house and I am simply tired of being out. It feels so draining in ways that it never had previously. Kind of a sad realization, but clearly I can’t be alone in feeling this way based on the foot traffic of the mall the last few times I’ve been there.
In Conclusion:
Whether technology or specifically generation Z is reshaping the retail industry, I am not entirely sure. However, it is changing. It seems to me that older generations are adjusting to the changes that Gen Z so comfortably adapts to, which makes me feel like our Generation has something to do with this shift. There are a massive combination of aspects causing this. I have mentioned how deeply we are influenced by online media. For example, apps like Pinterest and Instagram that help us find our aesthetic and shop accordingly. I have mentioned how influencers give us in-depth shopping experiences, which prevents us from wasting money or time by taking a chance on a product we’re interested in. I have mentioned how influencers give so much input that some users have begun to lose their sense of individualism, and must look to the internet for each decision they make. I’ve mentioned environmentalism, which is what drives me and some other Gen Z consumers. We spend time exploring and finding products that fit us personally, rather than impulsively buying from stores with cheap quality and unethical practices. I continue to hope more and more in my generation begin consuming more mindfully. Our purchases are self-expressing, self-defining, and much more than just needs and wants. I described how limited and weak our attention spans are. Understanding what Gen Z needs and giving it to us before we are bored is no easy task, and brands that make an effort to cater to us and our values do not go unnoticed. I hope that Gen Z has been more than just a burden in shifting the retail space, but is helping brands shift into the future.
References:
https://www.gwi.com/blog/3-us-gen-z-retail-trends
https://explodingtopics.com/blog/gen-z-spending
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