Gen Z Research: How Young Shoppers Really Choose

Before the session, we asked panellists what feels worth spending on right now. None of them mentioned big purchases. They talked about micro upgrades.

• A 24 year old strategy advisor, Saarah, described wanting “the little things that bring you joy.”
• Dominion, a 23 year old teacher, admitted that most of his impulsive spending goes toward “food and small treats that make the day nicer.”
• Ankita, a 20 year old student, agreed before calling herself a “Vinted warrior” because the entire experience feels like “a treasure hunt that’s more fun and more me.”

These choices are emotional, frequent and habit forming. They carry more weight in shaping preference than traditional category entry points and they matter for Gen Z consumer insights because they show how loyalty is built through repetition rather than big moments.

What this means for you:

If your Gen Z research focuses only on major shopping missions, you are missing the real drivers of brand memory and repeat behavior. You need Gen Z consumer insights that measure the everyday decisions that accumulate into loyalty.

Identity was the gravitational center of the conversation. It showed up in details most trackers never capture.

Look at the contrast between stories:

• Ankita talked about creating embroidered jeans with tiny cherries because they felt “uniquely mine.”
• Dominion is a fan of anime. He buys and regularly swaps niche phone cases because “they signal who you are without you having to say anything.”
• Saarah personalises jewelry and handbags with small switches because “it needs to feel like me.”

Identity is not an overlay. It is the decision filter. For Gen Z segmentation and concept testing, this matters because a single rational decision path will not reflect how each individual chooses to express themselves.

What this means for you:

Your segmentation and proposition work must allow for identity-based expression. If your concept tests and pack tests assume a single path, your read of Gen Z relevance will be incomplete.

A major shift surfaced here: With 2 in 5 Gen Z moving in with partners earlier than planned to save money, and a growing number extending co-living further by living alongside friends, it’s clear that Gen Z does not shop alone. 

• Rebecca, a 20 year old apprentice, explained that her flat “sits down and does our shopping budget together” every week.
• Dominion and his partner moved in together to save on costs. They share out financial responsibilities but make decisions jointly.

While Saraah pointed to the sense of community that comes from shared living. Whether it’s turning an apartment into a cafe for the day, or bringing friends together to do DIY. 

The outcome is a longer, more social path to purchase. The researcher, the payer and the user may be different people. This changes how teams should approach Gen Z path to purchase work.

What this means for you:

For Gen Z, you need to model households, not individuals. Journey work and behavioral studies should capture multi person influence, collective decision making and the negotiation moments that shape the basket. This is where most brand trackers fall short.

Every panellist used AI in their discovery journey, often as the first step.

• Rebecca spoke about starting with an AI prompt: “Tell me the top 5 mascaras”, before cross-checking on TikTok.
• Saarah turns to AI first because “it learns your style and gives you ideas you did not think to search for.”
• While others discussed using AI to generate meal plans and recipes, curate music choices, or simply answer a passing question.

This is not niche behaviour. It is the first step of Gen Z brand discovery.

What this means for you:

Your brand needs to be discoverable inside AI ecosystems. Brand tracking and path to purchase work must now measure how AI tools influence shortlisting. If you are invisible in generative tools, your funnel is already broken.

This was the most unexpected pattern. When the panel talked about comfort or connection, nostalgia kept surfacing.

Nostalgia is not a retro brand play for this generation. It is emotional regulation and a driver of choice.

Throughout the session, several panellists spoke about wanting to limit their screen time and reconnect through small, tangible pastimes that feel grounding and safe.

What this means for you:

Map the nostalgic cues in your category. They influence stickiness, brand warmth and perceived safety more than many teams realise.

If you want a faster read, the Retail Signals one sheet covers the biggest shifts.

Retail, beauty, gaming and financial services versions are available if you want to see how these patterns land in your category.

And if you are shaping your Gen Z research agenda for 2026, we can help you build the frameworks that actually reflect how this generation chooses.