Despite frequent digital-first and social media dependent stereotyping, Gen Z and Millennial shoppers are the most frequent visitors to UK retail stores, helping drive the physical retail revival, according to the latest research from RetailNext, an analytics solution for bricks-and-mortar retailers.
Original research of over 1,000 UK shoppers by RetailNext showed that while 40 per cent of UK consumers now visit non-food stores once a week, 46 per cent of millennials make weekly trips to stores (+6 percentage points compared to the average UK shopper).
When it comes to fashion, younger Gen Zs were also the most frequent in-store shoppers, with the demographic more than twice as likely as the average UK consumer to head into apparel stores every week (28 per cent vs 13 per cent). And, despite Gen Z spending an estimated two hours every day on TikTok, two-thirds (66 per cent) of Gen Z, a demographic tipped to spend £1.2bn on fashion in the next 6 months, prefer to use the store to discover fashion trends and products, according to a recent UNiDAYS report.
Similarly, for Health & Beauty, Gen Z were also x1.7 times more likely to visit stores weekly (34 per cent vs 20 per cent of average shoppers), while the proportion of Millennials taking trips to Health & Beauty shops each week is now +5 per cent higher than the average UK consumer (25 per cent vs 20 per cent). And with the trend for younger shoppers showing a growing preference for physical retail, increasingly online retailers, such as Gymshark, Trinny London and THG’s Lookfantastic, are looking to invest in bricks-and-mortar store networks.
“All too often assumed as being solely creatures of social commerce, younger consumer cohorts are embracing physical retail,” Gary Whittemore, head of sales EMEA & APAC at RetailNext, commented. “Whether that’s through a desire to reduce screentime, seeking more authentic shopping experiences or human interaction away from digital enclaves, or connecting and engaging with the brands they love IRL (in real life), we’re seeing rafts of younger shoppers leading the store revival both here in the UK and over in the U.S., choosing the store as their channel of choice.”
Outside of younger shopping cohorts, UK consumers as a whole are also signalling wider support for UK High Street retailers, echoing recent calls by retail leaders, including executives from M&S, Primark, Ikea and Tesco, who wrote to Chancellor Rachel Reeves ahead of the Budget demanding more relief for the sector through business rates reform.
Seven in ten (71 per cent) consumers polled by RetailNext wanted to see retailers better supported in the Autumn Statement, with three quarters (75 per cent) of UK consumers wanting the Government to do more specifically to support High Street retailers. A further 70 per cent believe bricks-and-mortar retail businesses should be given rate cuts to level the playing field between online competition.
“For many years now, we’ve heard death knell after death knell sounding the impending doom of the High Street, Whittemore added. “But the reality is physical retail remains an important and compelling component in omnichannel buying journeys, prompting strong support for the High Street amongst shoppers, which is why we continue to see many pureplays actively investing in growing their physical retail offerings.”
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