From TIME · Olivia B. Waxman · · 1m 50s
Gen Z shops nothing like their parents
A survey of 33,000 Americans shows Gen Z avoids department stores, skips ovens and rallies behind different brands than older generations.
In brief
A survey of 33,000 Americans shows Gen Z avoids department stores, skips ovens and rallies behind different brands than older generations. A TIME and Statista survey of over thirty-three thousand Americans reveals Gen Z's shopping habits diverge sharply from Baby Boomers, Gen X and Millennials across multiple…
Survey tracks brand loyalty across generations
TIME and data partner Statista surveyed more than thirty-three thousand Americans of all ages about their shopping habits.
Each generation picks different top brands
Baby Boomers ranked Brooks running sneakers number one. Gen X chose designer Kate Spade. Millennials topped their list with kitchen appliance brand Ninja. Gen Z selected bottled water Ice Mountain, popularized by TikTok.
Gen Z abandons department stores entirely
Nordstrom ranked among top brands for Baby Boomers, Gen X and Millennials. No meaningful number of Gen Z participants listed a single department store, suggesting they may be less relevant to that generation.
Why department stores are losing Gen Z
Over the last decade, luxury brands like Prada, Chanel and Louis Vuitton opened their own stores instead of selling only through department stores.
“Every year, the segment has seen its market share, share of retail sales, decline.”
Gen Z shops differently, values experiences
Gen Z hits up a mix of high-end and budget stores to buy different brands, shopping directly at Michael Kors, Coach or Zara.
Gen Z skips ovens for takeout apps
Zero brands of ovens appear in the Gen Z section of the survey. Gen Z devours viral TikTok videos of recipes made in countertop appliances like air fryers and Instant Pot, but spends more time…
Homeownership gap explains appliance gap
Only about twenty-five percent of Gen Z owns their own homes, so about seventy-five percent of the generation is not responsible for purchasing their own ovens and other large appliances.
The headline
A TIME and Statista survey of over thirty-three thousand Americans reveals Gen Z's shopping habits diverge sharply from Baby Boomers, Gen X and Millennials across multiple categories.
