Almost half of Gen Zers (46%) and Baby Boomers (45%) would switch to less expensive brands or product alternatives if there are price increases related to tariffs, according to March data from Collage Group.
The news: US shopper interest in generative AI (genAI) assistants has spiked 223% between 2023 and 2025, per Chain Store Age. 69% of US consumers surveyed by CouponFollow have used AI assistants for shopping. Our take: Retail AI strategies must match their audiences. Those geared toward younger consumers should highlight AI use and innovation and even let AI guide purchases. For older consumers, focus on AI to inform, not take control.
The trend: Gen Z is opting out of both traditional pay TV and ad-supported streaming tiers, signaling deeper changes in viewing behavior. Just 42% of Gen Z subscribers use ad-supported SVOD, while less than half of all US households now maintain a pay TV subscription. Our take: Streaming’s future depends on reaching the next generation, but current models—especially ad-supported tiers—aren’t meeting Gen Z where they are. With only 1.3 hours of streaming and 0.8 hours of traditional TV per day, Gen Z prefers social video, gaming, and music. To stay relevant, platforms must prioritize native formats, interactivity, and creator integration over legacy ad models.
The news: Google is bringing its generative AI (genAI) suite deeper into classrooms, launching Gemini and NotebookLM tools as part of Google Classroom for students under 18. It’s the first time NotebookLM—a research and note-taking AI—will be accessible to minors, per The Verge. Our take: Marketers and edtech players should align with Google’s expanding education stack. Building AI-integrated tools that plug into Google Classroom, optimizing content for Gemini-powered workflows, and creating solutions that run smoothly on Chromebooks can address the needs of a captive audience.
63% of millennials and 61% of Gen Zers feel more connected to health brands since starting GLP-1s, per a January Dentsu report.
Back-to-school spending is steady in 2025, but shopper behavior is split. Parents are prioritizing tech and clothing—yet these are also the first to be cut when budgets tighten. Consumers are shopping earlier, seeking deals, and using AI to keep costs down. With shopping habits divided by generation and income, retailers must stay flexible, personalize offers, optimize for AI, and create seamless cross-channel experiences.
96.3% of Gen Zers are digital video viewers, compared to 80.5% of the overall US population, per our May 2025 forecast.
The trend: Instagram is gaining momentum across Asia-Pacific, fueled by India’s 2020 TikTok ban and a projected 10% user growth in that market for 2025. Japan’s forecast has also climbed, with 44.4 million users expected next year. Our take: Instagram’s rise isn’t just reactive—it’s a sign of strong localization and feature depth. With TikTok facing stricter laws in Australia and Southeast Asia, Instagram’s Reels and group-channel tools position it as the more stable, advertiser-friendly option. Brands targeting APAC should reevaluate platform strategies as Instagram captures more of the region’s fast-changing digital attention.
E.l.f. SKIN is blending product marketing and comedy with “Sunhinged,” a comedy special that doubles as a PSA for sun protection.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how retailers are approaching their DEI initiatives under the current administration, the impact of staying quiet this Pride Month, and where the discussion around DEI goes next. Listen to the conversation with our Senior Analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts Principal Analyst Sky Canaves, Analyst Paola Flores-Marquez, and Dr. Marcus Collins—author and Professor of Marketing at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
The insight: Younger consumers are opting out of human interaction when they shop. Our take: While younger consumers tend to adopt new behaviors faster, they’re also driving the direction of retail innovation. Retailers looking to stay competitive should prioritize the tech-driven, convenience-first features these shoppers now see as table stakes.
With economic uncertainty influencing how people shop, marketers and retailers have a prime opportunity to create in-store value. Today’s shoppers seek more than products—they want a shopping experience that delivers immediacy, control, and sensory engagement. Here’s what retailers need to know about current consumer behavior in physical aisles.
Over half (53%) of US hispanic adults look for websites or retailers that offer Spanish-language options at least sometimes when shopping online, according to March 2025 data from ThinkNow Research.
Instacart has launched a new standalone app, Fizz, to help groups plan, purchase, and pay for party snacks and drinks.
Tapestry dismisses impact of tariffs on FY performance as “immaterial”: The Coach parent projected healthy growth as more Gen Zers and millennials pay full price for its bags.
Nearly three-fourths of Gen Zers discover new media content on social media (72%) and on YouTube (71%), according to December 2024 data from Toluna, Coraly Partners, and Halford Media Advisory.
Whether brands are aligning their product with comfort food, launching fragrances, or prioritizing scent in their retail spaces, marketers are embracing multisensory experiences as another way to stand out in the digital noise.
53% of US Gen Z adults say they have, are, or will participate in an economic boycott—more than any other generation, per a March 2025 Harris Poll.
In its new study “Gen Z and the American Dream,” social and advertising agency Adolescent Content was surprised to draw similarities between Gen Z and Boomers—two generations often perceived as being at odds.