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Gen Z is rapidly closing the adoption gap, on track to surpass Gen X users by 2028. The shift is driven by Gen Z's increasing disposable income as they enter the workforce, coupled with their enthusiasm for emerging technologies and AI-enabled features. Despite this momentum, significant growth potential remains untapped, particularly among older demographics.

That figure worsens among certain age groups: millennials (34%) and Gen X (31%) are most likely to lack emergency savings, while baby boomers (16%) are least likely. What this means for banks: Seventy-three percent of US consumers say inflation is preventing them from saving as much as they should鈥攁nd they likely won鈥檛 experience pricing relief anytime soon.

By the numbers: Over 2 in 3 Gen Zers in committed relationships have carried out 鈥渇inancial infidelity,鈥� versus 54% of millennials, 33% of Gen Xers, and 30% of baby boomers. Of Gen Zers who live with their partners, 63% believe financial infidelity is at least 鈥渁s bad鈥� as other types of infidelity. But financial infidelity shouldn鈥檛 be confused with financial autonomy.

A) Gen Z B) Millennials C) Gen X D) Boomers. 43% of all shoppers are willing to opt in, but this preference is even stronger among Gen Z (54%), according to an April 2025 Wunderkind report. May 6, 2025. True or false? Mother鈥檚 Day retail spending is expected to increase this year. A) True B) False.

Gen Xers鈥攚ho are largely the parents of Gen Z鈥攆eel their jobs don鈥檛 pay enough for financial security. Many have multiple jobs to make ends meet. What this means for banks: Gen Zers are correct in thinking they need more money than their parents to feel financially secure鈥攖hey just may not need double. This highlights again the complex relationship between Gen Zers and their Gen Xer parents.

Gen Zers will see a 7-percentage-point jump from 2025 to 2029 (83.3% to 90.3%), compared with a less than 3-percentage-point jump for Gen Xers and less than 1 for baby boomers. Click here to view our full forecast for US digital buyers, by generation. Gen Z far surpasses the total population in social media buyers in 2025 (56.0% versus 36.5%).

Among Gen X, the gap between the number of YouTube and linear TV viewers is starting to close. In 2026, there will be only 400,000 fewer Gen X YouTube viewers (47.4 million) than TV viewers (47.8 million). But that鈥檚 happening as a result of linear TV鈥檚 decline rather than YouTube鈥檚 growth. There are already more Gen X social network users (51.7 million) than linear TV viewers (48.5 million) in 2024.

In contrast, 36% of Gen Xers ages 55 to 60 intend to cut back. How are people shopping online for fashion? Mobile has surpassed desktop and in-store as UK consumers鈥� preferred fashion shopping method. Four in 10 UK consumers now prefer buying clothes via smartphones, up from 31% in 2024, surpassing in-store (33%) and desktop (26%) as the top channel, per Drapers.

Gen Zers and millennials are far more likely to compare prices for medications and medical services than Gen Xers and baby boomers. This shift in buying behavior is driven by consumers bearing more responsibility for their healthcare costs. While high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) were meant to reduce spending, they require upfront spending on medical care before plan payments kick in.

But roughly half of Gen X shoppers (51.1%) also followed creators or influencers, suggesting their content appeals to more than just the youngest social users. Shoppers don鈥檛 have to follow creators to see their content. Respondents were most likely to see shopping-related creator or influencer content in their main feeds.

Gen Xers in the 45- to 54-year-old range report the highest percentage of online clothing purchases (82.7%), closely followed by 25-to-34s and 35-to-44s (both groups at 79.9%), per our survey with ESW. However, younger consumers lead luxury goods purchases, with 18-to-24s at 25.0% and 25-to-34s at 23.5%. How consumers shop for fashion. Search engines still serve as the primary discovery channel.

In the UK, 68% of Gen Zers shopped on social media in the past year, compared with 54% of millennials, 33% of Gen Xers, and 12% of baby boomers, per Adyen. Globally, Gen Zers are twice as likely as the general population to discover and buy new products on social media, per an October鈥揘ovember 2023 survey by Capgemini Research Institute. Millennials are also turning to social for product inspiration.

Baby boomers (51.9%) and Gen Xers (26.7%) primarily see such ads on linear TV. This doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean that healthcare and pharma brands are advertising less on linear TV鈥攂ut rather that younger people are noticing these ads on digital media, where they鈥檙e increasingly spending time. Weight loss drug ads are a prime example of this trend.

That said, events like the Victoria鈥檚 Secret Fashion Show are introducing the brand to a new generation of shoppers鈥攁nd reactivating millennial and Gen X customers. Expanding its merchandise beyond intimates could also help the retailer gain greater consideration from shoppers.

Gen X are individuals born between 1965 and 1980. Baby boomers are individuals born between 1946 and 1964. Social network usage is growing even as time spent peaks. Social networks are seeing user growth. We expect US social network users to grow 1.7% YoY this year to 236.5 million, while adult social network users will grow 1.9% to 212.8 million.

And they鈥檙e more likely than Gen Xers or baby boomers to make purchases via social media, according to our survey. Limited acceptance of payment methods for social commerce purchases could be holding users back. Buyers are using a smaller range of payment methods for social commerce purchases than for traditional ecommerce. But this is likely due to limited acceptance鈥攏ot consumer preference.

customers: Just 47% of Gen Xers and 26% of baby boomers said the same.

However, Facebook is most popular for making buys among millennials, baby boomers, and Gen X social buyers. The US had over 100 million social buyers as of 2024, according to our forecast. TikTok Shop, which debuted in the US in September 2023, is a hefty contributor to the nation鈥檚 commerce sales and buyer growth.

That reflects the fact that baby boomers and Gen Xers are more suspicious of advertising than their younger counterparts. For example, the share of Gen Zers who said that affiliate ads were at least 鈥渧ery influential" was at least twice as big as the percentage of baby boomers or Gen Xers who said the same. Younger consumers have absorbed the idea that affiliate content is effective.