Survey: Gen Z, millennials use e-commerce, self-checkout to avoid other people
Younger consumers are using online purchasing and other shopping methods to avoid social interactions.
That’s according to a GoDaddy Consumer Pulse survey, which found that half of Gen Z (54%) and millennials (50%) polled in March prefer shopping methods that allow them to avoid other people, including BOPIS (buy online, pick-up in-store), self-checkout or online shopping. Fewer than a third (29%) Gen X and baby boomers feel the same way.
The majority of Gen Z (86%) and millennials (76%) purchase items online for in-store or curbside pickup at least once per month, with nearly a quarter (23%) of Gen Z and 27% of millennials doing so weekly. This is in contrast to half of Gen X and baby boomers (51%) who never purchase items online to pick up at or in the store.
Some younger consumers prefer technology over human interaction when it comes to customer service as well. Fifteen percent of Gen Z and 10% of millennials prefer talking to a chatbot over a human customer service representative, compared to only 3% of Gen X and baby boomers.
[READ MORE: Survey: In-app purchasing ability most desired for food & beverage, retail]
"Gen Z and millennials want to shop online from their phones and be left alone, which makes providing an automated, personalized, yet hands-off experience for consumers all the more vital," said Alex Avramenko, head of commerce growth at GoDaddy. "Is your online store truly mobile-friendly? Is it easy to find options for digital wallet payments or in-store pickup? These aren't just trends. Consumers have consistently shown their desire for simple, convenient ways to shop and pay will make or break a sale, and small businesses need to adopt this new vision of what doing business looks like."
Additional insights from the GoDaddy survey include the following:
- Thirty-nine percent of Gen Z and 43% of millennials have used buy now, pay later to purchase items they couldn't afford, compared to 22% of Gen X and baby boomers. Only 16% of all consumers have never used this payment option.
- More than half (54%) of Gen Z and half (50%) of millennials report they shop online while at work, compared to only 18% of Gen X and baby boomers.
- More than half (54%) of Gen Z and 41% of millennials have skipped completing a purchase due to a business not accepting digital wallets, such as Apple Pay or Google Pay. Ten percent of Gen Z only use their phone to pay for items when shopping in-person, with 5% of Gen Z reporting they don't even carry a physical wallet anymore. In contrast, more than a quarter (27%) Gen X and baby boomers have never used digital wallets.
- More than half (56%) of consumers choose to use their phone when making larger online purchases of $150 or more, whereas only 36% would use their laptop, and just 8% prefer a tablet. Younger consumers are slightly more likely to prefer to shop on their phones, with 70% of Gen Z and 63% of millennials preferring to pay via a smartphone, compared to nearly half (49%) of Gen X and baby boomers.
- Around a quarter of Gen Z (27%) and millennials (25%) said they have lied to be able to return an item they purchased, compared to 11% of Gen X and baby boomers.
GoDaddy surveyed 1,500 U.S. consumers for its report.
