From social media influencers to the importance of price: How the different generations shop online

Almost a third of Gen Z consumers are more likely to buy from a brand after seeing a celebrity or influencer using the product, while 59 per cent of Baby Boomers are more convinced by people they know, according to new research.

The nationwide survey of 2,000 consumers by supercharged commerce also found that whilst 70 per cent of consumers start their product search online, Gen Z also turn to social media – being three times more likely (18 per cent) to start their search on social, compared to the 6 per cent average across the board.

The research analysed shopping habits across the generations, solidifying that brands can no longer take a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Price was revealed as one the most important factors to the older generations, with 86 per cent of the Silent Generation and 82 per cent of Baby Boomers prioritising this.

Ethics and values were deemed more important to the younger generations, with 77 per cent of Millennials and 75 per cent of Gen Z wanting to buy from a diverse company. 71 per cent of Gen Z and 66 per cent of Millennials also said it was important that brands they shop with feel like an extension of their personality.

A personal shopping experience is also an important factor to younger people, with almost half of both of Millennials and Gen Z admitting they like to feel part of a community with the brands they shop with. Over half of the same generations also like it when brands recommend products based on their shopping habits. However, brands must take this approach with caution as being retargeted by websites they’d visited deterred two in five Baby Boomers and 39 per cent of the Silent Generation from making a purchase.

Commenting on the findings, Tim Edwards, founder of supercharged commerce, said: “Everyone has their individual preference for online shopping so brands must tailor their eCommerce websites to ensure each generation is getting the right online shopping experience for them.”

“The younger generations are digital natives and really value their own flexibility and freedom so it’s no wonder they prefer a more personalised approach from brands, whilst the older generations are a lot more wary and selective of the brands they shop with and value price and ease.”

The survey also revealed the most important factors and biggest deterrents when shopping online.

The overall most important factors when buying online ranked:

1. Price (71 per cent)
2. Free delivery (55 per cent)
3. Reliability (46 per cent)
4. Good online reviews (37 per cent)
5. Good customer service (34 per cent)

The overall biggest deterrents to buying online ranked:

1. An unsecure website (48 per cent)
2. Delivery expected to take too long (41 per cent)
3. A complicated checkout process (36 per cent)
4. Unclear product specifications (36 per cent)
5. Having to wait for an out-of-stock product (34 per cent)