The so-called Generation Z, i.e. the generation composed of individuals born between 1997 and 2012 (the Under 30s, to be clear), represents an important, not to say fundamental, segment of the eCommerce world.
These young people, the first true digital natives, show unique purchasing behaviour and specific expectations, which can create and spread new purchasing trends, and thus influence the entire online sales market. To attract this audience to your eCommerce, it is therefore essential to adopt targeted strategies. Yes, but which ones?
In this article we will provide you with some practical and useful tips to attract GEN Z buyers to your online store, win their interest and secure their trust.
Why GEN Z prefers eCommerce to physical stores
How many under 30s shop online
According to research on the purchasing behaviour of Italians, and in particular GEN Z, conducted by OpinionWay, Payplug and PrestaShop, 92% of Gen Z members have already purchased products online (compared to 88% of the rest of the population).
This does not mean that younger people are abandoning shops, but simply that – often – they prefer digital channels: 44%, in fact, say they buy as much online as in shop. But why is Generation Z particularly attracted to eCommerce?
Reasons why GEN Z prefers to shop online
Generation Z is particularly attracted to eCommerce for several reasons.
- Convenience and speed: digital natives are used to a hyper-connected life and prefer the convenience and speed of online shopping over shopping in physical stores. Suffice it to say that 72% of the members of this generation use their smartphones directly to make purchases. This means that you can potentially reach these users at any time of the day and wherever they are. Have you ever made a purchase in the middle of the night from your sofa at home? We are pretty sure that for someone under 30, this practice is quite common (even this writer can testify to this trend at the moment).
- Security and reliability: the days of not trusting electronic payments are – finally, we can say – over. Younger people appreciate the security and reliability of online payment systems that enable them to shop faster and more conveniently. In other words, they trust eCommerce.
- Integrated shopping experiences: younger people are very keen on a hybrid, omnichannel approach, i.e. one that integrates the digital and physical worlds. For GEN Z, it is perfectly normal to get in touch with a brand via social channels, scrutinise its online store and choose to test out products in store, and then perhaps even complete the purchase online. Phenomena such as webrooming and showrooming are pushing brands to think of new approaches and strategies to win over new consumers. For their part, new consumers love the possibility of coming into contact with brands through different touchpoints and choosing the shopping mode that is most convenient for them.
5 tips to conquer GEN Z with your eCommerce
Well, now that we have analysed the reasons why Generation Z prefers eCommerce to in-store shopping, it is time to figure out how, in concrete terms, to attract younger buyers and win their trust through your online store. In other words, how to make them become your customers.
Here is the practical guide to GEL Proximity.
1. Offer personalised and engaging shopping experiences
Generation Z is looking for increasingly personalised and engaging shopping experiences. For this reason, investing in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning is crucial to help you create a tailored customer experience. Algorithms enable you to quickly and efficiently analyse customers’ buying behaviour, interests and segments, so that you can offer products that are personalised and in line with customer needs.
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) tools can also help to improve the shopping experience, allowing young people to visualise products in a realistic way before making a purchase and see if they are really right for them.
A very successful example is Kiko, the well-known cosmetics brand. Among the first to introduce the ‘virtual try-on’, it is no secret that the target group of this brand is younger consumers. The virtual try-on of products has been very popular and Kiko’s sales have taken off.
Image source: Kiko Spa
2. Leverage your social channels to bring younger customers (and more) to your eCommerce
Generation Z spends a lot of time on social media, using it not only for socialising but also for shopping. Let’s look at some numbers: 12% of 18-27 year olds do most of their online shopping on social media, compared to 6% of the rest of the population. Moreover, 34% of them say they watch videos on YouTube (21% on TikTok) before making an online purchase.
The leap from eCommerce to Social Commerce (we have also discussed this in this in-depth article) is therefore a very short one. Platforms such as Instagram and TikTok already offer integrated shopping features that allow brands to sell directly through social networks. Exploiting them is therefore crucial.
If you have an online store, you absolutely have to optimise your social media presence, creating eye-catching content and taking advantage of in-app shopping features, so that your new, young customers can easily reach you with a simple click on Instagram.
Image source: HT&T Consulting
The Plus Tip: Ça va sans dire, since Generation Z makes most of their purchases and browses social channels from their smartphones, optimising your eCommerce for mobile devices is essential in order not to lose a significant slice of potential customers. Ensuring a smooth and intuitive browsing experience on mobile is crucial: fast loading times, a simple user interface, mobile-optimised checkout processes and one-click payments are the minimum expectations of consumers of this generation.
3. Leverage influencer marketing
An established trend in the world of social commerce is influencer marketing. In fact, 58% of Generation Z members claim to have bought a product on the advice of an influencer, i.e. a well-known person they trust (let’s face it, sometimes it is more a case of ‘wanting to be’ like your favourite person rather than trusting them, even if you use the same products. Either way, it works).
Collaborating with influencers who reflect the values and interests of your brand can therefore increase your visibility and credibility among young consumers. Be careful, the value context is crucial. Choosing an influencer who represents your brand means that you must share the same values, which are also those of your customers. This is because if your influencer commits a faux pas, the customer will link him or her directly to your image.
Therefore, choose influencers who have an audience in line with your target audience and who can create authentic and engaging content. Influencer marketing campaigns not only increase brand awareness, but can also drive qualified traffic to your eCommerce and increase sales.
4. Show your product reviews
Almost all of Gen Z (99%!) claim to read reviews before making an online purchase. However, this is not a new trend: in the previous generation, the percentage is 94%.
In other words, to gain the trust of these customers, it is essential to let them find out about you and your products from other customers who have already made a purchase. This not only increases their trust in you, but also enables them to make more informed purchasing decisions and, thus, also reduces the risk of error and all that goes with it (negative purchasing experience, the need to proceed with a return…).
We recently spoke with Andrea Carboni, CEO of eShoppingAdvisor, about the importance of reviews. Read the interview.
5. Offer sustainable shipping
One of the core values, if not the most important, for Generation Z is sustainability. According to McKinsey, 90% of young consumers believe that companies should take responsibility for their environmental impact. 37% say that the environmental impact of brands is a very important factor in their choice. Therefore, integrating sustainable practices into your eCommerce operations can make a big difference.
An effective way to make your eCommerce more sustainable, regardless of the products you sell, is to manage your shipments sustainably. How? Lockers and Pick-up Points are the answer, because these solutions not only reduce the environmental impact of deliveries, but also offer greater flexibility to consumers, allowing them to collect their parcels at times and places of their choosing. In other words, they allow both the personalisation of the delivery (which we have seen above to be crucial) and a greater focus on sustainability.
It follows that promoting these options on your eCommerce can attract young consumers who are more environmentally conscious and less tied to the – unsustainable – home delivery model.
If you want to immediately integrate a network of over 200,000 already active Pick-up Points and Lockers, you can do so with GEL Proximity.
Discover our services now or contact us for more information.
