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

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.

According to a 2023 survey, nearly half of India's millennials shopped with multiple vendors on the same online platform, while a similar proportion did online research before making major purchases. Gen Z showed comparable behavior, with ** percent undertaking online research before major purchases. B2C e-commerce With the expansion of digital infrastructure and an increase in smartphone penetration, the B2C e-commerce sector in India has witnessed significant growth. The market size of the B2C e-commerce industry is estimated to reach around ** billion U.S. dollars in 2024. Key market players like Amazon India and Flipkart have capitalized on these trends, offering a wide range of products and services that cater to the diverse needs of Indian consumers. Online grocery shopping Building on the surge in the e-commerce sector and restricted mobility during the coronavirus pandemic, there has been a notable uptick in the demand for online grocery services in India, with JioMart and BigBasket being the most preferred channels for shopping. While online grocery shopping currently represents a smaller fraction of overall grocery purchases compared to traditional stores in India, the sector's sales value is on an upward trajectory and is expected to reach over **** trillion Indian rupees in 2025.

In the United Kingdom (UK), millennial shoppers were the group purchasing clothing and shoes the most online. A total ** percent of millennials, aged 27 to 42, reported shopping mostly online for clothes and shoes in the 2nd quarter of 2023. Gen Z shoppers followed, with ** percent mostly shopping online for their apparel.

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.

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.

A survey conducted in August 2023 revealed that ** perrcent of Millennial online shoppers in the United States intend to shop on amazon.com for the holiday season in 2023. The second most-preferred channel was specific brand websites, with ** percent of Millennials planning to shop there for the holidays.

According to a global survey carried out during the second quarter of 2023, around ** percent of Gen X online shoppers wished e-commerce sites would enhance frictionless payment methods. Additionally, some ** percent of surveyed Millennials would like to have personalized products recommended when shopping online, an option which appealed to the same percentage of Gen Z online shoppers. E-commerce companies seem to have listened to their audience. In 2021, almost seven in ten professionals from e-commerce businesses stated personalization will be a key investment area in the future. Personalization drives conversion rates Investing in a personalized shopping experience pays off. A 2021 study analyzing conversion rates of U.S. e-commerce sites showed that a higher percentage of purchases were finalized after the shopping experience was tailored to the users. Although conversion rates improved across several e-commerce segments, marketplaces showed the biggest difference in pre-and post-personalization. Easier said than done For buyers to get a personalized shopping experience, retailers need to retrieve significant amounts of user data throughout the entire customer journey – from customized newsletter to web visits, from mobile app usage to payment preferences. Extensive tracking of online user data requires adequate IT capacity. Over ** percent of U.S. executives from e-commerce companies could not ensure a personalized shopping experience due to lacking IT bandwidth. The second biggest pain point was the missing cooperation with solution partners enabling the personalization.

More than **** of consumers belonging to Generation Z bought something on social media platforms, according to a survey in 2024. Almost a ***** of overall consumers bought on social media platforms. The consumer experience In a 2023 survey, Facebook and Instagram were the social media platforms offering the best shopping experience. To gain deeper insights into the elements constituting a satisfactory social commerce shopping journey from the user's viewpoint, key factors shaping consumers' heightened engagement with social commerce included, but were not limited to, deals and discounts, seamless purchasing processes, exclusive offers, and increased availability of customer reviews. Social shopping destinations Facebook is the leading social commerce platform globally, except among Gen Z, who favor Instagram and TikTok. However, the types of social media accounts that shoppers followed and purchased from varied by age group. Gen Z and Millennials predominantly bought from brand accounts, with Gen Z also showing a preference for social media influencers. Conversely, Gen X and Boomers preferred purchasing from trusted retailer accounts.

As of 2024, millennials were more focused on e-commerce purchasing factors when buying clothes and shoes than Gen Z. More millennials (** percent) considered the ability to buy fashion online as an important factor for purchasing than en Z (**** percent).

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.

According to a 2022 global survey, millennials were the generation that made the highest number of direct purchases on online marketplaces. Over the six months leading up to the study, around ** percent of millennials bought from marketplaces. Gen Z online shoppers secured the second position, with ** percent of them opting to order goods directly from this channel.

Almost ** percent of European Millennials and Generation Z were influenced by complete and transparent product descriptions when choosing a favorite website, according to a 2024 survey. Furthermore, nearly ********** of respondents considered free delivery as an influential factor.

According to a survey conducted in the first quarter of 2025, ** percent of Gen Z respondents shopped online in the United States in the previous 12 months. Additionally, ** percent of Millennials bought products online, and ** percent of Generation X respondents did the same.

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 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 United States, ** percent of Millennial online shoppers bought more or at least the same during Black Friday as the year prior. Additionally, ** percent of Gen Z online shoppers decided to buy more during the mega sale day. Baby Boomers were the generational cohort less likely to buy during Black Friday, with ** percent of online shoppers within this generation buying less or nothing during the shopping event.

In 2024, more than ** percent of Generation Z survey respondents in the United States declared having made an online purchase from a content creator. Two-thirds of Millennials also made an online purchase from creators, according to the survey.

In the first quarter of 2023, the United States had the highest share of Gen Z consumers who had participated in a live-streaming shopping event by a large margin, with ** percent. For comparison, Australia was next in line with ** percent. On the other hand, Poland and Portugal had the lowest share of Gen Z consumers who had participated in live commerce over the same period, with ** and * percent of respondents, respectively.