Two new studies are offering insight into the digital habits of Gen Z, a demographic with an estimated $143 billion of direct and indirect buying power.
While Gen Z has become a strong adapter of mobile-first technology, this new data explains how this upcoming generation of consumers do not shop, work or communicate in the same manner their predecessors did.
First of all, passwords are a major obstacle to purchases, says a new study by Transmit Security. According to this data, half of Gen Z shoppers report abandoning their carts if they can’t remember their passwords. This is a major departure from data within other demographics like millennials (16%) and baby boomers (4%).
More than 85% of Gen Z participants reported using their smartphones for online shopping and more than 83% use smartphones to log in to their bank. In contrast to this adaption, Gen Z participants said they have stopped a website registration process because it was too complex (58%) and more than 80% report using the “forgot my password” function within the last few months.
The future of ecommerce, this study suggests, should prioritize speed and security. Working with a generation who does not guard or diversify their passwords means doing so will likely lead to biometrics and password-free authentication in the very near future.
But these changes will need to take place somewhere other than email, according to the 2022 US Consumer Trend Report and a recent study by Attest, which named Gen Z the least receptive generation to email. Gen Z consumers who do read marketing email from brands, report preferring to receive it once a week (53%).
Regardless of age differences, one commonality rose to the surface: all generations (57%) prefer marketing emails that are amusing or entertaining.
