How winning brands are building loyalty with Gen Z shoppers

As the youngest active generation in the market today, Gen Z shoppers are already making a significant impact on retail.

Shrewd and savvy retailers who can capitalize on their preferences and shopping habits have an incredible opportunity to build long-term loyalty with these increasingly influential demographics — but it will require more than traditional tactics.

In this post and the video above, we share how brands that make thoughtful decisions about marketing strategies, product offerings, and general consumer engagement can develop unshakable relationships with Generation Z shoppers (and social-savvy reviewers).

Through smart planning and forward-thinking execution, upstart retailers and established brands alike can use these three methods to create memorable experiences that turn digital natives into lifetime customers.

Want to dig deeper to learn more about Gen Z shoppers and brand loyalty?

Key stats to consider…

• 60% say their chosen brands are an expression of who they are 
• 77% don’t want to feel like they’re put in a box
• 50% pay attention to brands that offer personalization and co-creation
• 61% will pay more for brands that use inclusive practices
• 59% consider racial and ethnic diversity as a societal benefit
• 48% know someone who wants to be addressed with gender-neutral pronouns
• 40% of Gen Z searchers turn to TikTok or Instagram before performing a traditional Google Search
• Gen Z will switch brands for a lower price or a higher perceived value

Selling to Gen Z: This is what they want (video transcript):

In this quick video, we’ll give you three key insights on how winning brands build loyalty with Gen Z shoppers. 

Number one, Gen Z loves personalization and they will pay for it either with money or with their personal data. As this age group’s not nearly as protected with their personal data as Gen X and Baby Boomers, gen Z values brands that give a personalized experience or allows them to create a custom product.

Number two, Gen Z wants brands to challenge social issues because they believe the products they buy are a reflection of their personality, values, and beliefs. 43% say they appreciate brands that take a stand, especially with sustainability, inclusiveness, and racial transparency.

And number three, they do their research. While millennials use the highest number of sources at 23, Gen Z wasn’t far behind at 19. Research shows that younger shoppers, e-commerce shoppers, men, and higher-income shoppers do more research than average. 

To close out, you may be wondering exactly which brands these teenagers and 20-somethings are loyal to. Well, right now the top five brands for 13 to 21-year-olds are Nike, Apple, Adidas, Samsung, and Jordan. Brands that all embrace these winning strategies.

We build adaptable retail environments that transform for the ever-changing landscape

Gen Z is a powerful consumer force and building loyalty with them is essential for any business to tap into their generation’s huge buying power.

Brands that personalize products, include environmental concerns in their product design and production process, challenge social issues in their messaging and respond transparently to customer reviews will earn their loyalty. 

Achieving success with Gen Z doesn’t have to be daunting–our team of experts at CBSF can help you with all of your retail environment design-build needs.  From environment design to custom and standard shelving, to retail displays and more.

Our design-build process takes you from rough sketches to done & dusted. Contact our team for a project quote for your next project.