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Our take: Gen Zers鈥� top factor for choosing where to bank (42.2%) is their proximity to a bank鈥檚 ATM. That鈥檚 partly because they heavily rely on cash to budget and save for the future. If Robinhood can make its users feel secure choosing its cash-delivery service, it could attract banks鈥� Gen Z customers in particular.

Gen Z is the critical force in digital buyer growth. Nearly 90% of the 14.7 million new digital buyers in the US between 2024 and 2028 will come from Gen Z. The pace of Gen Z digital buyer growth will be fastest between 2024 and 2026, before tapering off significantly, making the near-term period a critical era for brands and retailers to capture Gen Z loyalty.

Gen Z consumers overall are the most likely to abandon a brand if it reverses DEI efforts. According to a March 2025 survey by Ad Age and The Harris Poll, 40% of Gen Z consumers and 19% of all adults stopped purchasing or using a brand after it contradicted or reversed its DEI commitments. This highlights a growing accountability gap for brands navigating social values.

While YouTube remains the go-to livestream choice for key demographics like Gen Z, competitors like TikTok and Twitch aren鈥檛 far behind. YouTube鈥檚 new format could convince advertisers that, despite YouTube鈥檚 tough competition, it鈥檚 ultimately the best source for livestream ads. Marketers don鈥檛 view livestreaming as the most effective content type within influencer programs.

While marketers often focus on Gen Z to target lifetime shoppers at a young age, this generation lags in brand loyalty鈥攖hese shoppers are 33.9% more likely to have abandoned at least one brand or business over 12 months, according to a Capital One Shopping survey. 鈥淭he majority of RFPs that come in are for Gen Z,鈥� said Marian Thomas, director of partnerships, research and measurement at Zynga.

Some 83% of Gen Z adults typically purchase alcohol at a supermarket or in a liquor store, according to October 2024 data from Attest. Use this chart: Beverage marketers can use this chart to strategize where best to reach consumers with campaigns. Retailers and in-store retail media inventory suppliers can use this to appeal to marketers angling to connect with alcohol-purchasing consumers.

B2B digital ad spending will continue to grow at a slower pace across key industries in 2023. More B2B buyers are millennials and Gen Zers, shifting ad buys from search to display, from Google to social media, and from desktop to mobile.

Gen Z will be the largest group of users by generation in 2027. Overwhelmingly, Gen Zers view mobile wallets as their go-to payment method鈥攁nd want to use them for more than paying. Gen Zers are more likely to demand credit card features that enable mobile wallet commerce. Section 3: Challenges Facing Mobile Wallet Providers.

Modern consumers鈥攅specially Gen Z鈥攁re increasingly tuning out digital clutter, Brien noted. OOH, as a physical medium, offers a way to cut through and deliver credibility in real-world moments. Several speakers pointed out that OOH is uniquely suited to amplifying messages across channels. When paired with TV, social, or creator content, its cultural impact multiplies.

Gen Z in particular ranks messaging (including WhatsApp) as one of the top five channels for urgent brand communication鈥攎ore than social media or web chat. 37% of US adults said they feel most connected to online communities through WhatsApp鈥攐n par with Substack and ahead of YouTube or Facebook. That emotional connection raises the stakes even further.

The strategy: Financial institutions (FIs) are redesigning branches with self-service options, mobile integration, and personalized experiences in mind鈥攚hich are key to attracting Gen Z customers. What do Gen Zers want? ATM Marketplace likened banks鈥� Gen Z branch strategy to the 鈥淎pple Store model,鈥� which aligns with the generation鈥檚 preferences:.

鈥淕en Z consumers like the organic space and the funky story,鈥� she said. 鈥淭o get their attention, it has to be short, it has to be to the point, and it has to be something crazy great that they鈥檝e never seen before.鈥�. This was originally featured in the 蘑菇AV Daily newsletter. For more marketing insights, statistics, and trends, subscribe here.

But younger consumers are even more skeptical than average鈥攈alf of Gen Z and 43% of millennials hold this belief, compared with around 27% of Gen Xers and 28% of baby boomers. The marketing angle: Online-only banks must close the knowledge gaps highlighted by this finding. For example, many consumers don鈥檛 realize that online banks can be just as insured as traditional banks.

Gen Zers in particular are rejecting the traditional 9-to-5 jobs, instead taking nontraditional approaches to saving and earning money. Bunq鈥檚 branding and available resources cater to professionals who work remotely or move around the world鈥攅mbracing a more flexible lifestyle.

Nearly half (45%) of consumers have pulled forward spending on electronics, while 58% of Gen Zers say they鈥檝e accelerated big-ticket purchases like iPhones and laptops in anticipation of potential price hikes, per a survey conducted for ecommerce platform ESW. The forecast: We expect the Trump administration鈥檚 evolving trade agenda to weigh on back-to-school sales.

Digitally native Gen Zers engage with healthcare in different ways from other cohorts鈥攅.g., they鈥檙e likely to turn to online channels for health information before going to a doctor. Providers and marketers must quickly adapt if they want to form lasting relationships with this age group.

Plus, Gen Zers care more about corporate social responsibility than do older consumers. When we asked which factors were important in determining their level of trust in a bank brand, more Gen Zers cited the brand鈥檚 socially and environmentally responsible practices than did any other generation.

As brands pull back or quiet their DEI initiatives, consumers are paying close attention. 53% of Americans feel disappointed when brands stay out of social conversations, according to a May Givsly report. 40% of Gen Zers and 19% of all consumers have stopped using or purchasing brands that contradicted or reversed DEI efforts, according to a March survey by Ad Age and The Harris Poll.

While 82% of all travelers in North America are enrolled in loyalty and frequent flyer programs, per an April OAG survey, just 65% of adult Gen Zers and 70% of millennials have enrolled. Over 6 in 10 Gen Zers said inconsistent travel through one brand was the biggest reason for not using a loyalty program.

Forty percent of Gen Z adults have stopped using or purchasing from brands that have contradicted or reversed their DEI efforts, and younger generations rate DEI efforts highly and are more likely to identify as LGBTQ.

Three in four consumers are concerned about fake reviews, according to January 2023 data from Bazaarvoice. Amazon and other retailer websites have a fake reviews problem, and it鈥檚 driving consumers鈥�Gen Zers in particular鈥攖o seek information about products on social media sites like TikTok and Reddit.

But as Gen Z ages, the digitally native cohort will boast the highest digital buyer penetration among the age demographics we track: More than 90% of consumers born between 1997 and 2012 will buy goods online in 2029, surpassing even millennials. And Gen Z spending power is also set to rise as more join the labor force. Click here to view our full forecast for US digital shoppers and buyers.

More than half of Gen Z adults have participated or plan to participate in economic boycotts, reflecting a generational shift that makes politically sensitive media placements a bigger reputational risk for advertisers. Our take: The FTC鈥檚 order sends a clear signal amid mounting political pressure that regulators are watching.