Young people primarily shop online. The Corona pandemic has only intensified this trend. However, as soon as young people have to go to the “real” store, it becomes embarrassing or uncomfortable for many.
The new adults are born into a digitalized environment and have adopted new ways of purchasing products and services. Generation Z is considered the generation, that was born with a smartphone in hand.
While online shopping is not a problem, for many young people it is a real nightmare to go to a traditional store.
While many young adults between the ages of 20 and 25 start dealing with tasks such as paying taxes, fueling, or managing a household, going to a store has become a laborious task. Apparently, they lack the necessary knowledge.
Interaction and communication are difficult when one buys and pays for everything online
A young woman reports, for example, on Tiktok that she is afraid to shop at the local butcher. However, instead of receiving ridicule for it, many people commented who had similar problems:
They do not know how to behave in a local store, what to ask for, or what to do there. Some recounted how they ultimately bought products like a whole salmon or a quarter of chorizo just because they observed others:
At the fishmonger, I didn’t know that salmon is sold as a whole piece. I ordered a salmon because I thought it was a kilo, and he gave me the whole salmon (€64). Since I was embarrassed, I said nothing and took it.
In a similar way, a young woman recounted her experience at a specialized butcher where, when she asked for 50 grams of cheese, she only received a slice: ‘I left with my slice of cheese, silently and full of shame,’ she confessed.
This phenomenon shows how difficult it is for young people to shop in physical stores. A Spanish bank, for instance, has anonymously analyzed data from its users (via Caixabankresearch.com). According to this statistic, over 40% of 16 to 29-year-olds spend their money online.
In contrast, customers over 65 spend less than 10% of their money on online purchases. Furthermore, among older people, at least 43% prefer to shop directly with brands for reasons of trust and security rather than ordering online.
Similar results are reached by the payment institute Mastercard in its own study, published in 2022:
- Young people appreciate anonymous shopping, while older people are almost not interested in it at all.
- Both groups want to support local businesses, but the willingness is significantly higher among older people (62% vs. 46%).
- The older age group (55%) sees a major advantage in human interaction and personal contact when shopping in stores. This portion has been steadily declining among younger individuals for years (40%).
- One thing that all people appreciate: The constant and enduring availability and the ability to order at any time. Thus, 63% of surveyed consumers see the continuous availability of offers through shops and platforms online as a significant advantage.
What is the problem? This trend towards online shopping indicates a general, much larger problem – the lack of interpersonal communication. Many young people, reinforced by the Corona pandemic, are simply used to communicating through text messages. A call or telephone conversation is much less frequent if it can also be done via a message.
More about Gen Z: In a recent study by a Norwegian university, researchers found that 40% of students have lost the ability to write handwritten texts. Turkish professors also report similar experiences with their students belonging to Gen Z: Gen Z is losing a skill that humanity has possessed for 5,500 years
