Blog
We recently ran a survey across 40 shopping centers to test the opinions of the British population towards Christmas shopping. (The full results can be seen on the link below.)
One of the more striking findings was the attitude of Gen Z.
Our project managers Emily Hill and Kayleigh Bates soon spotted an unexpected pattern in the data. “What proved fascinating to us was the way the views of 18-24 year-olds often went against the grain compared to all the other age groups. Anyone beyond their mid-twenties seemed to have settled into broadly similar expectations around the Christmas season, with the family unit being the defining aspect. However, Gen Z shoppers came at the subject of Christmas shopping from an entirely different angle.”
We had imagined that Gen Z would gravitate towards online shopping. Not at all! 94% said that they intend to buy in-store, compared to 74% among the older groups. We also asked if people would be spending more this Christmas compared to last year. Again, the highest increase was among Gen Z at 34%, considerably higher than all other age groups.
We then asked about what types of gift they’d be buying this year, and once again there was another interesting split in opinion. 62% of 18-24 year olds intend to spend the same or more on gift experiences, significantly higher than other age groups, indicating that experiences rather than physical items are a bigger priority for the younger generation.
Similarly, the purchase of handmade and personalised gifts scores higher among Gen Z than older shoppers.
Interestingly, buying a gift for a family pet is also a priority for this younger group with 34% saying they would buy a gift for their dog or cat compared to the average of 21%.
The enthusiasm for experiences also translates into the experience offered by shopping centres as part of the Christmas season. For Gen Z the Christmas decorations and a Christmas light switch-on are still viewed with excitement well-beyond childhood with 55% keen on a launch event compared to a national average of 40%.
This strong age-related divide in preferences continues when we ask what types of activations have the greatest appeal. Younger audiences favour more social and festive experiences compared to older individuals who lean toward community driven activities and Christmas Markets.
Finally, we noticed that purchasing among younger groups starts early – they aren’t panicky last-minute buyers. 43% start Christmas shopping in August.
Overall it’s a picture that shows a much more discerning shopper than we might have imagined. Careful in their planning, open to spending in physical stores and enthusiastic in their excitement for experiences.
Alan Thornton, Managing Director