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Consumers are using malls as social and experiential destinations rather than purely shopping venues, with 60% of Gen Zers visiting malls to socialize, per 2023 data from the International Council of Shopping Centers. Some mall retailers thrive while others struggle. Forever 21 is filing for bankruptcy for the second time in six years. At the same time, Gap posted decent earnings.

However, advertisers should avoid complete divestment from TikTok, which maintains massive reach and will continue to be popular among key demographic groups, like Gen Z.

Gen Z and millennials are the primary consumers of digital video. Gen Z鈥檚 interest lies mainly in social video on apps like TikTok and Instagram Reels鈥攖he 18-to-24 age bracket has a penetration rate of 97.8% of internet users. Digital video penetration of all age groups combined is 84.9%. Only seniors have a usage rate under 75%.

It was the biggest overall driver for Gen Z remittance users, with 38% saying they would switch for faster transfers.

Apart from open banking鈥檚 influence, Gen Zers and millennials will be major drivers of growth in digital-only bank account openings. These consumers are the most likely to switch where they bank in search of better digital experiences, per RFI Global.

Gen Zers and millennials overindexed on shopping from creator-founded brands. Close to two-thirds of both Gen Z (66.2%) and millennial (63.1%) shoppers had made a purchase from a creator- or influencer-founded brand. Most of those brands are targeted toward young consumers or are owned by a creator who is popular among young people. Nearly three-quarters of buyers made those purchases on social media.

蘑菇AV 15% of Gen Z credit card users are utilizing 90% or more of their credit limit鈥攁 higher share than any other generation, per a May 2024 New York Fed report. This stems partly from younger consumers鈥� shorter credit histories and associated lower credit limits. Among the lowest household income quartile, 12.3% of card users utilize 90% or more of their limit, per the New York Fed.

The news: Forty-two percent of Gen Zers and 61% of millennials said they鈥檇 pay for AI if it meant better, more accurate answers, per Pearl鈥檚 2025 AI Accountability & Trust report. In the pursuit of accuracy, exactly half of US consumers believe AI platforms are legally responsible for the answers they provide, including 53% of Gen Zers.

Among Gen Zers, this figure jumped to 75%.

And in doing so, it might also give marketers a dynamic ad format that can reach millions of users. "200 million people monthly use the service, especially Gen Z," said Sellis. "This is how they gather. This is how they experience belonging. And our goal is to be the best place to talk and hang out and play before, during, and after gaming with your friends.".

Gen Z will make its presence felt as digital shoppers and buyers. The mobile-native generation will have a transformative impact on retail and ecommerce. 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.

Gen Z shoppers particularly rely on the opinion of online strangers. Gen Z consumers say online reviews are the most important factor when shopping, per a June 2024 report from NielsenIQ and World Data Lab. 87% of Gen Zers say online reviews had at least a little influence over their decision to purchase a product, according to January data from CivicScience.

Less than half (40%) of Gen Zers trust their employer to invest and make time for learning and training. How to motivate: A sense of community doesn鈥檛 just come from managers鈥� attitudes and values鈥攊t can also come from providing flexible policies.

The brand also works with creators who are parents, kids, and Gen Zers in between to reach an intergenerational audience. Music and pop culture partnerships. By aligning itself with popular artists and aligning merchandise with concert-going trends, Claire鈥檚 has managed to stay relevant, even as the pop culture trends themselves shift.

Even Gen Zers, who don鈥檛 spend much time scrolling Facebook鈥檚 feed, can be found buying secondhand goods there. On Instagram, shopping is almost entirely B2C, cementing its position as a top social commerce channel for brands. Gen Z and millennials are driving Instagram鈥檚 and TikTok鈥檚 growth.

Additionally, Gen Alphas will be on the lookout for a platform they can make their own, like millennials did with Instagram and Gen Zers with TikTok.

Lingering doubts: Although younger and older generations align on AI scam factor, they diverge on how interesting or novel it is for a brand to use the tech. 27% of Gen Zers said brands are 鈥渃ool鈥� for using AI content in their ads, but only 8% of baby boomers felt the same. Baby boomers were just slightly more impressed by AI鈥檚 novelty: 29% called it futuristic, versus 25% of Gen Zers.

More than other generations, Gen Z shopped for every non-grocery retail category online, except home furnishings and alcoholic beverages. Key stat: Economic uncertainty has consumers putting off plans for renovations.

Among Gen Z, the percentage of shoppers who prefer to buy apparel online outweighs the percentage who would prefer to buy in a physical store, per a November 2024 report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). But most consumers still prefer buying in-store. How consumers shop for fashion. Mobile dominance in fashion ecommerce reflects broader smartphone commerce adoption.

However, Gen Z is rapidly closing the gap, while boomers represent an undertapped opportunity, particularly for health-focused features. Maturing market: The wearables market is experiencing significant consolidation as devices evolve and categories converge. Smartwatches are absorbing features from fitness bands and expanding into payment systems.