Gen Z shoppers prefer brick-and-mortar

Thursday, 6 April 2017

Gen Z shopper Becky Aucutt prefers to shop in store, like 89 per cent of 18 to 22 year-olds surveyed by AMP Capital.

Although online shopping appears to be dominating retail, the latest generation of young shoppers prefer to head to the shops.

Retail assistant and avid 22-year-old shopper Becky Aucutt said she hardly ever goes online to shop.

Gen Z shoppers prefer to shop in-store, rather than online.

'I definitely like to try on my clothes first. I find shopping online is too much of an effort to send it back [if it doesn't fit], and I know you get a full refund, but it still takes a few days and it's too much of an effort for me,' Aucutt said.

'I'd prefer to just have it now. I like holding bags and physically walking around popping in and out of stores.'

The AMP report found 46 per cent of male shoppers were more interested in staying ahead of popular trends than 36 per cent of females.

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Most of Aucutt's flatmates in their early 20s also prefer to shop in physical stores.

A report from investment manager AMP Capital found 87 per cent of Gen Z shoppers like or love shopping instore compared to 79 per cent who like or love to shop online.

AMP director Mark Kirkland said adult Gen Zs who were aged between 18 and 22 years and already earned an income were the next generation of shoppers.

Ultimately, they were the future consumers who would influence the direction of retail, Kirkland said.

The report found young shoppers wanted to be able to interact with products.

'Being able to like feel the fabrics too is a big thing for me,' Aucutt said.

'I bought something off BooHoo.com one time, and it was this jumpsuit, and I thought it would look awesome, and I tried it on, and it was skin tight.

'But on the model it was really flowy and I thought, I'm never buying off here again.

'It really tarnishes the reputation of a brand for a consumer too, I think.'

The future of brick-and-mortar shopping was strong, but retailers needed to adapt their instore experience to engage with a changing customer base, particularly tech-savvy future shoppers, Aucutt said.

'I research online when I'm looking for something specific. The other day I was looking for a particular cut of jeans so I Googled it and searched on TopShop before I went and tried them on.'

A good in store experience was often a deciding factor for Aucutt.

'Generally when I shop I don't browse and find stuff I like. I generally have a picture in my head of what I want.

'So if I go in and it's really jam-packed and I can't see colours or styles I immediately just leave,' she said.

'I do like interacting with people in store. But if I get [bad] service then I hate it.'

'ASOS sales tend to draw me in. But I usually go for full priced stuff. Sale racks are always messy, so I hate going through it.'

AMP's report also found men loved shopping and that this year, 46 per cent of male shoppers said they were more interested in staying ahead of popular trends than 36 per cent of their female counterparts.