Gen Z is twice as likely as the overall population to discover products on social media (51.5% versus 25.5%, per our Path to Purchase research), but physical stores are their top choice for actually making a purchase.

“Social media plays a much bigger role in influencing everything Gen Z does, but this is very different from saying Gen Z over-indexes with social commerce,” our analyst Blake Droesch said on the “Behind the Numbers: Reimagining Retail” podcast. “[Social’s] influence at the top of the funnel is really predominant, but it’s not necessarily where the majority of Gen Z are doing all of their shopping.”

Gen Z is most likely to use physical stores to purchase new brands or products (51.9%), followed by websites (46%), mobile apps (38.5%), and social media (24.3%), per our Gen Z Path to Purchase 2024 report.

Here are three things to know about Gen Z’s relationship with brick-and-mortar.

1. Gen Z prefers the experience of shopping in-store

Despite living online, Gen Z wants to get out of the house.

“You’re growing up in this world where everything is constantly digital,” said our analyst Paola Flores-Marquez. “You went through the pandemic and you’re in your teens or your twenties. Going out is really fun. You want to find reasons to go out and spend time in the outside world.”

Gen Z wants to shop offline to confirm quality, she added. “It’s a rite of passage to get scammed on the Internet. Once you’ve been burned once or twice, you want to make sure that what you’re buying is legit.”

2. Gen Zers are informed shoppers

Gen Z were more likely than other generations to engage with a variety of resources to research before buying. This generation was nearly 10% more likely than the overall population to cite price and quality as motivating factors to buy, according to our research.

“That speaks to their life stage,” said Droesch, noting that because they likely have less money, they’re looking for better value. As digital natives, knowing they can thoroughly research purchases online is likely fundamental to their behavior.

“Even as their spending power increases, this consideration and [desire to] research could remain consistent, and that would be a big difference from older generations,” he said.

3. Gen Z is most likely to use their phone in-store

When they need help in-store, Gen Z is most likely to pull out their phone, rather than speak to a sales associate or use other options to aid in their shopping journey.

“Retailers have apps to help you find products or scan barcodes, and Gen Z uses it as a tool [in the way] someone from an older generation might rely on a store clerk,” said Droesch. “Gen Z shoppers are more likely to be in the store looking up ratings and reviews, getting more detailed product descriptions, and seeing if they can get a better deal on Amazon or another ecommerce channel.”

Marketers need to have a strong presence across all the platforms Gen Z might use to search, be it Target, Walmart, TikTok, Reddit, or Google.

“Everyone is entering brand names into a different search bar, depending on who they are,” he said. “If you want to drive that sale, you’ve got to be where the eyeballs are.”

Listen to the full episode.

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