The article appeared in planning&analysis on February 27, 2020.
At first glance, the shopping behavior of Gen Z is very contradictory. On the one hand, they have no problem with having their Coke bottle delivered by bottle post. On the other hand, they are willing to go the extra mile to pick up leftover food that has been pre-ordered with apps like 'Too good to go'. Sometimes they "flex" (show off) with luxury brands, sometimes they go in search of second-hand clothing on 'Kleiderkreisel' or Humana. In the first part of the Gen-Z Shopping study by the rheingold institute, we shed light on young people's longing for first-class full supply on demand. In the second part, we describe how they try to save the world through ascetic no waste and second hand strategies.
Full supply and on-demand mentality
I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it
Lyrics by Ariane Grande, US singer and actress
Like no generation before them, Gen Z is growing up with a basic feeling of total availability and full supply. For them, the smartphone is also a digital magic wand when it comes to consumption: everything is available anytime, anywhere, on demand and with "one click. Young people experience at an early age that their wishes are often anticipated before they even arise. Because on the one hand, personalized algorithms serve them what is potentially desirable. On the other hand, parents often act as agents of their children's wishes and educate them in the spirit of co-determination. Even as young children, they are therefore allowed to have a say in the purchase and use of products.
Money, too, often seems available on demand beyond precarious households. Many of the interviewees did not receive a fixed budget or pocket money with which they had to budget. Rather, they were and are fully financed by their parents. Cash on demand and no interest on overdrafts often make for paradisiacal conditions in children's and young people's bedrooms.
Online purchasing in particular supports the feeling of a full-service eldorado with total availability: "you get everything delivered to you", "and don't have to wait anywhere because it's too crowded". Influencers also provide inspiration and relief, serving as royal tasters for young people who try out interesting products in everyday life over a longer period of time and then recommend them to others.
Buying means exerting influence - Gen Z sees itself more as an investor than a customer
Gen Z sees shopping as an important developmental step. Because being able to go shopping themselves means freedom and an increase in personal influence and shaping of the world.
What has changed fundamentally is the way young people see themselves when they go shopping. They see themselves not in the role of a customer, but in the position of a powerful investor. With every purchase, they want not only to own a product, but also to achieve something. The purchase is thus experienced by them as a kind of show of favor, which, like the deliberate withdrawal of favor by not buying the brand, is intended to have a political or educational effect on a brand or company. Since the young people have the feeling that they are actually helping to build the brand, they also expect to be constantly courted by it.
Above all, fashion and beauty products with their promises of transformation support the path to adulthood as well as the formation of one's own identity. In this context, a visit to the Snipes outlet for streetwear and sneakers, for example, can be experienced like a kind of first visit to a club with music and cool people. The store should then also be designed accordingly: gladly with the latest digital features, such as virtual try-ons or dressing with light changes. The salespeople are therefore not seen as retail representatives at all, but as personal "development coaches" who support the young person with advice and encouragement.
Uninhibited flexing (showing off) with luxury brands creates esteem as a person
Luxury brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton or Supreme are popular for showing off. They show that one can draw from the full. Valuable sneakers from Kanye West or the latest Apple smartphones are status symbols that make an impression. Unabashedly and proudly, young people show off not only with high-end luxury products or It-pieces, but also by using certain apps à la "How much is your outfit worth?" This makes it child's play to assess the value as well as the status of a person. The more expensive, extraordinary or special, the better. By posing, taking selfies in all situations, and flexing, the consumer-friendly Generation Z secures the applause of their friends and the feeling of being truly seen and valued.
"The brand or your smartphone expresses what you are and what you can afford."
