How Gen Z shops in the US: Is the most online generation really buying online?

Key takeaways: How Gen Z shops in the US

• Personal recommendations and in-store browsing are Gen Z's top source of discovery: 50% of Gen Z find new products through these channels.
• Social media is a defining difference: 35% of Gen Z discover products through influencers or bloggers, nearly twice the rate of older adults, and 64% use social media to research products.
• Online forums are a go-to research source: 33% of Gen Z use forums to learn about products, compared to 21% of non-Gen Z shoppers.
• Email is Gen Z’s preferred customer service channel: 31% choose email, but they’re also more likely than older consumers to use social media, forms, or avoid contact altogether.

Gen Z is by far the most online generation. Nearly four in ten spend over three hours a day browsing the internet (39% vs. 29% of older consumers), and 74% report high smartphone screen time compared to 51% of their elders. But while their lives are highly online, they’re not exclusively online. Gen Z scrolls, swipes, and discovers products through influencers and feeds but is also no stranger to in-person shopping.

New insights from YouGov Profiles reveal a nuanced portrait of Gen Z shopping behavior shaped by omnichannel habits, a social-first approach with a heavy dose of in-person browsing.

Discovery begins with personal networks and retail spaces

Gen Z consumers are most likely to discover new products through people they know. Half (50%) say they’ve found new products through recommendations from friends, family, or colleagues, almost identical to the rate among older Americans. Nearly as many (46%) say they discover new items while browsing in physical retail stores. Despite growing up with e-commerce, Gen Z hasn’t left the in-store experience behind.

Influencers and bloggers play an outsized role for this generation: 35% of Gen Z say they discover products this way, nearly double the 19% of older adults. By contrast, traditional advertising channels such as television (13% vs. 33%), print ads (7% vs. 14%), and out-of-home advertising (2% vs. 7%) are far less effective with them as far as product discovery is concerned.

Social media leads the research process

When it comes to evaluating a product or brand, Gen Z turns most often to social media. About 64% of Gen Z shoppers say they use social platforms to research brands and services, making it their top research tool by a clear margin. This figure stands significantly higher than the 44% of older consumers who do the same.

Gen Z also stands out in their greater use of online forums. One-third (33%) of Gen Z consumers report turning to forums to learn more about brands, while just 21% of older consumers say the same. This points to a generational preference for unfiltered, community-driven content.

Online search continues to be a major part of the research process for both groups. Around 57% of Gen Z report using search engines to learn more about products, though this is slightly below the 61% of older consumers who rely on search. Similarly, more than half of Gen Z (53%) use a brand or service’s own website for research, compared to 60% of older shoppers.

While Gen Z engages with traditional online research channels, they do so at lower rates than older shoppers. About 48% use independent review websites, and 38% consult reviews on retailer sites. In both cases, these figures trail the 58% and 45% reported by older consumers.

Purchases happen online, in-store, and often in between

Most American Gen Z shoppers (69%) use online browsing to begin their decision-making process, but browsing in-store remains strong as well (53%). Their shopping journey often continues across multiple platforms.

Half of Gen Z shoppers (49%) have seen something online and then bought it online, and 37% say they’ve seen something in-store and purchased it in-store. But Gen Z is more likely than their elders to move across channels, either by seeing a product online and buying it in-store (29% vs. 25%) or discovering something in-store and later buying it online (21% vs. 17%). This “showrooming” and “webrooming” behavior suggests a fluid, non-linear path to purchase.

Gen Z also engages with mobile apps for purchasing. 30% say they’ve used an app to buy online, and 13% have used one to purchase in-store.

Gen Z’s communication expectations are digital-first

When it comes to contacting businesses, Gen Z favors direct, digital channels. Email is the top choice, with 31% preferring it compared to 21% of older adults. They are also more likely to reach out via social media (6% vs. 2%) and slightly more inclined to use chat bots or website forms.

In contrast, phone remains the dominant method for older generations–39% prefer it, compared to just 25% of Gen Z.

So, how online is Gen Z shopping?

The short answer: very online, but not exclusively so. Gen Z shoppers live in a digital world, but their commerce behaviors cross boundaries. They browse social media for inspiration, lean on peer reviews for evaluation, and move fluidly between online and physical retail when making purchases. What sets Gen Z apart is not just their screen time but their comfort with switching platforms and trusting community input.

Methodology: All data referenced in this article comes from YouGov Profiles, a proprietary audience intelligence platform that continuously collects and analyzes data on thousands of variables, including demographics, media consumption, lifestyle habits, and purchasing behaviors. This analysis compares Gen Z adults to all older adult consumers as a group.