Dive Brief:

• Gen Z consumers start holiday shopping later than any other age group, with 33% saying they don’t start holiday shopping until after Black Friday and 15% reporting not starting until after Dec. 15, according to Yes Lifecycle Marketing research made available to Marketing Dive. In contrast, 30% of millennials report shopping for gifts year-round, almost twice the percentage of Gen Z reporting the same, and Gen X and Baby Boomers report doing most of their shopping between September to November.
• One finding from the study that marketers might find surprising is 45% of Gen Z plan on shopping in-store during the holidays – the highest percentage among any generational group.
• Shopping characteristics that appeal to Gen Z include authenticity and quality over price or convenience. Marketing channels preferred by Gen Z include mobile apps (56%), display ads (56%), email (46%) and social media (42%). In what be a sign of times to come, Gen Z’s email preference is the lowest percentage across all generations.

Dive Insight:

Black Friday may be in the past but holiday shopping is far from over, if you're a part of Gen Z, the generation born between 1995 and 2009. For marketers, this means there's still an opportunity to connect with these shoppers. The generation's propensity for last-minute shopping is in contrast to a wider trend over the past decade in which consumers are starting shopping earlier. 

Marketers may be still trying to understand how to best reach Gen Z, but the Yes Lifecycle Marketing report on holiday marketing along with previous research uncover some trends. One common theme in Gen Z research is the focus on quality. Earlier this year Saatchi New York released a study on Gen Z that found that the age group was focused on quality and price when choosing products. The Yes Lifecycle report echoed that finding with 57% of Gen Z reporting quality drives their brand loyalty, 50% based their last purchase on quality and 28% described themselves as “quality-first” shoppers.

Retailers should take advantage of Gen Z’s propensity to shop in-store by making sure any offers or promotions sent via in-app, social media or email channels can be redeemed at a brick-and-mortar location. Because Gen Z likes to shop in stores, adding location marketing to any mobile campaigns could be a good tactic to reach that audience when they are most interested in making a purchase.