Understanding How The Gen Z Mom Shops

Understanding Gen Z shoppers is vital to brands for today, not just for the future

While Gen Z is the youngest age cohort, they deliver significant impact. Gen Z comprises over 90 million people in the United States; they are just now coming into prime spending years as parents. And as it turns out, Gen Z moms hold the purse strings for much of the household spending.

Understanding How The Gen Z Mom Shops

Gen Z Moms Earn and Shop

First and foremost, Gen Z moms are a budget-conscious group, but one that likes to earn and spend money. Gen Z is industrious. Unlike their predecessors (13% of Millennials didn’t even have jobs until after they were in their twenties), many worked while in school. Working early in life helps set a foundation for understanding the importance of money; it can also instill the joy of being able to make purchases.

Beyond the typical minimum wage jobs, Gen Z moms came of age during the start of the “gig economy.” Nearly half of Gen Z (46%)  chose this avenue to make money to help them get the things they want.
 

Gen Z Moms Value Experience and Price

Price is critical to savvy Gen Z mom shoppers – 60% of Gen Z base their brand choice on price. But, they are not likely to jump through hoops. We don’t recommend creating treasure hunt-like programs, which offer only a glimpse of a future reward. Instead, follow the lead of other smart brands and share offers (discounts, freebies, etc.) via emails, SMS, or notifications from apps with geo-fencing capabilities, which reminds Gen Z moms of offers when they are within proximity of stores. Building a relationship with Gen Z moms helps drive purchase. 

Gen Z moms consider a variety of factors when making purchase decisions. As with most of us, this includes quality, value, and how a product or service makes them feel. A poor online experience has prevented 22% of Gen Z shoppers from making a purchase three to five times in the past year. (Note: this is about 30% higher than when compared to Millennials). Gen Z moms will also walk away from a poor in-store experience.
 

Offer Gen Z Moms Access to Information

Growing up as digital natives, Gen Z spends twice as much time on their phones as Millennials. Gen Z moms want to know about products and services before they buy and will research extensively; they use mobile phones both for pre-shopping research and for making purchases. Offering quick and easy access to information is a requirement to reach Gen Z moms and impact their shopping. But, these moms also care about the companies behind the products and services and seek information on their values, too. According to an A.T. Kearney survey, 81% of Gen Z prefer to purchase in stores, and 73% like to discover new products in stores.

Gen Z shoppers prefer to do their shopping in stores mainly “for mental health reasons,” claiming shopping in person is a getaway from technology. According to an A.T. Kearney survey, 81% of Gen Z prefer to purchase in stores, and 73% like to discover new products in stores.

 

Yet, Gen Z Moms Value Their Privacy 

Reports abound about how often and how much Gen Z uses their mobile phones and social media. However, the perception of Gen Z stuck to their mobile phones all the time, for every occasion is not entirely accurate. A few facts to dimensionalize their relationship between mobility and privacy:

  • 87% of Gen Zers say privacy is more important than getting “likes” on social media
  • 58% turn location sharing on and off based on how and when they wish to use it 
  • 38% worry brands are sharing their info without consent

 

In Conclusion

Personalized experiences from brands can make a significant impact on whether Gen Z moms buy. However, it’s essential to ensure your brand operates in a manner consistent with Gen Z moms’ values regarding privacy. Gen Z moms are digitally native with a firm grasp of the value of a dollar. The brands that learn what is important to Gen Z moms and how they shop will have a future advantage.

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