Study: Generation Z still prefers shopping in stores

The youngest adult consumers still prefer shopping in stores over using their laptops, Instagram feeds or Amazon’s Alexa, according to a recent Morning Consult study.

“Gen Z is on track to be the largest, most ethnically diverse, best-educated, and most financially powerful generation ever,” the report states. “In the coming years, their distinctive habits will play an outsized role in shaping American culture and commerce.”

This younger generation, which the report defined as Americans born between 1997 and 2012, began spending money when two-day delivery was common, “driving high expectations about convenience,” according to the report, based on a May survey of about 3,000 U.S. adults, including about 1,000 adults ages 18-to-21.

Still, 55% of Gen Z women said they preferred going into stores. That number is lower for Gen Z men, at 40%, and is 53% for all other adults. Two-thirds of the younger generation shoppers go shopping for fun at least once a month.

“Gen Z adults are enamored with major technology and social media brands but also enjoy shopping in-person,” the report concludes.

Gen Z shoppers are aware of the technology brands they are buying from.

Google, Google Search, YouTube, Gmail and Instagram are the top five brands Gen Z survey respondents said they are most likely to use daily. The next five are Google Chrome, Snapchat, Netflix, Apple iMessage and Apple iPhone.

The top three most critical threats Gen Z sees as facing the U.S are: Terrorism, climate change, and racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination.

The top three political issues to Gen Z are: Health care, civil rights, and the price of education.

“This filters into how they view politics, interact with brands, and approach personal life decisions,” the report says.

Thirty-seven percent of Gen Z adults identify as Democrats compared to 14% identifying as Republican.

Almost two-thirds had an “unfavorable view” of President Trump.

Almost 40% of Gen Z adults who say they are liberal boycotted a brand in the last year for political reasons, according to the report.

When they do shop online, 41% of Gen Z adults said consumer reviews and ratings are important when deciding to make a purchase. That percent is even higher for Gen Z women. Half said these reviews are “very important,” the report states.

Few Gen Z adults use credit cards to pay for groceries or gas, compared to about a quarter of all other adults. Almost half, 47%, of this younger generation opts to use a debit card as their primary payment method and 30% use cash.