Social media's influence on Gen Z shopping habits has surged dramatically in recent years. A 2024 survey reveals that ** percent of Gen Z consumers discovered new products or brands through social media influencers, up from ** percent in 2023. This shift underscores the growing importance of digital platforms in shaping consumer behavior, particularly among younger demographics. Beauty and personal care e-commerce growth The rising impact of social media on Gen Z purchasing decisions aligns with broader trends in e-commerce, particularly in the beauty and personal care sector. Global revenue in this market is forecast to increase by ***** percent between 2024 and 2029, reaching a new peak of ****** billion U.S. dollars. This growth trajectory suggests that the digital landscape will continue to play a crucial role in consumer discovery and purchasing habits. Payment preferences among young consumers Traditional payment methods remain popular among Zoomers. A survey across North America, Europe, and Latin America found that debit and credit cards are still preferred by Gen Z for online shopping and travel bookings. However, younger consumers are showing a growing demand for diverse payment options, indicating potential shifts in the e-commerce landscape as digital wallets gain prominence, particularly in Asia-Pacific markets.

While computer and mobile shopping were behaviors already adopted by at least ********* of global consumers before COVID-19, the pandemic gave a boost to a variety of e-commerce technologies and services. Among Gen Z and millennials surveyed in 2022, ** percent said they had adopted contactless payment methods during the coronavirus and continued to use them after the crisis. In contrast, ** percent said they did so during the health emergency but no longer use them. Moreover, the COVID pandemic also drove the uptake of delivery alternatives such as Buy Online, Pick-up in Store (BOPIS) and curbside pickup.

In 2021, ** percent of baby boomers preferred in-store shopping, while only ** percent chose online shopping as their primary method of buying. Many millennials and Generation Z shoppers also opted for in-store shopping but showed a way greater interest in hybrid buying methods, at a rate of ** and ** percent, respectively. Favorite brands among young shoppers When comparing male and female Generation Z shoppers in terms of brand preferences in the United States, it was apparent that both groups enjoyed many of the same household names. For instance, brands such as Amazon, Walmart, YouTube, and Netflix appeared on both lists, making them some of the generation’s most popular brands. That said, preferences were far from identical: more Gen Z women liked Doritos, Oreo, and KitKat, while a higher number of Gen Z men had a favorable opinion of Gatorade, PlayStation, and Nike. Sustainable considerations Climate change is a hot topic and is on many consumers’ minds in recent years. As such, a considerable share of people in the United States, and around the world, have started taking up more sustainable habits. For example, many have adapted their shopping and consumption behavior: according to a survey conducted in early 2022, more than half of consumers worldwide planned to avoid buying new goods for sustainability reasons, perhaps intending to buy secondhand or repair the goods they already owned instead.

According to the results of a recent survey conducted in the United States, most respondents across all age groups preferred to buy products directly in stores. The highest share of in-store buyers was among baby boomers, with 83 percent. On the other hand, the same generation did not seem as interested as others in buying products through companies' apps or social media.

According to a survey in 2024, reading customer reviews before making a purchase was done by ** percent of Gen Z respondents in the United States. Using a discount code or coupon at checkout was also a common practice in this generation.

According to a survey conducted among consumers in the United States, ** percent of Millennial respondents said sustainability was a driving factor behind their purchasing decisions. Gen Z respondents driven by sustainability amounted to ** percent.

In a survey of millennial consumers in the U.S., around ** percent of women said Instagram had the most influence on their shopping habits, compared to ** percent of the men surveyed. Younger millennials between the ages of 25 and 29 stated they were most influenced by more visual content-focused platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Meanwhile, those in their 30s and 40s said Facebook was the primary platform shaping their shopping behavior.

In early 2022, nearly ** percent of Gen Z consumers in the United Kingdom (UK) indicated that price was a deciding factor when making a purchase, making it the generation's leading consideration when shopping. That being said, a considerable share of zoomers also kept other aspects in mind, such as a brand's sustainability efforts and their social media content.

As of the first quarter of 2023, the main categories that Gen Z shoppers would mostly shop for online if they could choose freely were entertainment and fashion. On the other hand, Gen Z consumers would mostly shop for in-person groceries, pharmaceuticals, and home and garden.

In 2023, about two-thirds of millennials in the United States said they would prefer to shop mostly online for leisure, sports, and hobby products. Only about 14 percent of millennial consumers said they would prefer to shop predominantly in-store for such goods.

In the first quarter of 2023, the shopping journey of Gen Z consumers began predominantly in online stores, as reported by ** percent of respondents. Following closely behind were search engines, mentioned by ** percent of respondents, and physical stores, cited by ** percent. It is worth noting that digital channels accounted for **** out of the top five most popular choices among consumers.

Among the categories listed, clothing and shoes stood out as the most frequently purchased by Gen Z consumers as of the second quarter of 2023, with ** percent shopping for them monthly. Entertainment and electronics followed closely, with ** and ** percent of respondents. Conversely, the category with the lowest frequency of purchases by Gen Z consumers during the same period was home and garden, with only ** percent of respondents buying products within that category every month.

In the United States, ** percent of millennials bought clothing online. This was the most popular product category among millennials in all of the countries analyzed.

According to a study of iOS users in the United States, ** percent of millennials used the Apple App Store. Amazon followed as the second-most used shopping app, with a usage rate of ** percent among mobile commerce shoppers of the millennial generation.

In 2021, nearly ** percent of Gen Z respondents stated that they often spent more money than they had planned to. The same was true for just over ** percent of Millennials (Gen Y), while only around ** percent of those aged between 41 and 55 years (Gen X) agreed that they frequently spent more than planned. The figures are based on a survey conducted in Germany.

According to a survey among British consumers in 2025, Millennials were likely to be the biggest spenders on Black Friday 2025, with a planned spend of *** pounds on average. Gen Z consumers were nearly as likely as the millennials to participate in Black Friday, yet planned to spend much less on average.

As of the first quarter of 2023, Gen Z consumers in all but one of the surveyed countries preferred to do most of their shopping online rather than in-store, with New Zealand being the exception. In the United States, for example, nearly **** of the respondents said they would do most of their shopping online if they could choose freely.

In China, ** percent of Generation Z bought shoes online, according to a 2024 survey. This product category was the most purchased online in all the countries analyzed.

The option to pay with cash on delivery increased the likelihood of buying a product for ** percent of Millennials, according to a survey in 2023. The option to use a "buy" button directly on a social site ranked as the second most popular driver among Millennials to purchase online.

In a 2022 global survey, nearly a quarter of Gen Z consumers said that "likes" or good comments through social media would increase their likelihood of buying a product online. The second most influential factor was click-and-collect delivery, with ** percent of respondents, followed by exclusive content.