Gen Z Leaves Its Mark On Omnichannel

Generation Z (ages 18 to 26) is leading the charge when it comes to the adoption and frequent usage of omnichannel shopping in the U.S.

The latest data from GfK’s annual FutureBuy study revealed that almost half of all respondents who fall within the Gen Z age range researched an item on a mobile device before purchasing it in the store. This “webrooming” strategy, the researched confirmed, is popular among Gen Z shoppers, and usage increased 5 percentage points since 2015, outweighing other generations by 12 to 27 points.

“These findings really illustrate that generation is a major factor in determining how someone prefers to shop,” Joe Beier, EVP on GfK’s shopper and retail strategy team, explained. “They also offer a stark reminder of the importance of tightly defining the target audiences for any activation initiatives. The days of ‘one size fits all’ are clearly over.”

The study also showed that 32 percent of Gen X shoppers in the U.S. said they researched a product in a physical retail location prior to buying it online via mobile device, also known as “showrooming.”

The use of showrooming is more frequent among younger generations, with Gens Y (ages 27 to 36) and Z shoppers admitting to using the strategy at least once a week. While Generation X shoppers (ages 37 to 51), typically use showrooming “once every few weeks to once a month.”