Only a few years separate the generation of Millennials from Generation Z. While Millennials knew life without the internet and witnessed its beginnings, Gen Z does not know a world without the internet and grew up with social networks. Although they share some interests, the two generations seem to have different expectations when it comes to online fashion shopping.
Stylight, an online search platform for fashion, beauty and decoration, analyzed the needs and expectations of Millennials and Gen Z when it comes to online fashion shopping. The study found that Millennials systematically buy more fashion online than Gen Z. 40 percent of Millennials use search engines to more easily search for fashion and accessories, compared to just 26 percent of Gen Z today. 40 percent of Millennials regularly buy clothing and accessories online, compared to 38 percent of Gen Z.
Millennials, born between 1980 and 1994, have mostly been in the workforce for a number of years. They therefore have higher purchasing power than Gen Z, who were born between 1995 and 2009. While 12 percent of Millennials spend more than 300 euros a month on clothing and accessories, only 3 percent of Gen Z spend it. Also, 70 percent of Gen Z spend less than $100 compared to 61 percent of Millennials.
In both generations, women shop more online and follow rapidly changing trends more closely. Men, on the other hand, have higher budgets and invest in timeless pieces that are considered an investment as they are more durable. According to the results, men spend six percent more than women when it comes to their monthly fashion budget.
Where do you get inspiration?
Both generations mainly rely on social networks as a source of inspiration when shopping for fashion online. The vast majority (62 percent of Gen Z and 63 percent of Millennials) use social networks like TikTok and Instagram when seeking inspiration, followed by online magazines (41 percent of Gen Z, 43 percent of Millennials).
The study also shows that Millennials pay more attention to influencer collections than Gen Z. 33 percent of Gen Z buy influencer collections, compared to 38 percent of Millennials. According to Stylight, this number could be attributed to the younger generation’s preference for less commercial content, which is also reflected in the emerging ‘deinfluenced trend’ also TikTok-. This new trend is all about not buying things.
Conscious and responsible fashion
In terms of ecological responsibility, the survey found that Millennials are six percent more likely to buy sustainable clothing than Gen Z. This is (still) related to their purchasing power: 21 percent of Millennials spend more than half of their budget on sustainable products, four percent more than Generation Z.
“Sustainable shopping no longer knows any generational boundaries. Millennials and Gen Z account for the largest share of online fashion sales, with Gen Z accounting for around 25 percent of the world’s population. They possess tremendous power. Both will continue to change consumer culture and behaviour, with conscious shopping being one of their main interests. Millennials, with their current higher purchasing power, have clearly already made their decision to consume more sustainably, but I’m betting that Gen Z will bring about the biggest change in the next few years, stepping up their fight against greenwashing and brands promoting activism build, even more supported,” analyzes Ilenia Sarman, vice president of brand marketing and customer experience at Stylight, in a press release.
Pre-ordering fashion seems to be the next trend for both generations. In contrast to the mass production of clothing in fast fashion, the value is placed on quality rather than quantity. Young people are willing to wait longer for orders. This made-to-order fashion is almost equally appealing to Millennials and Gen Z. When it comes to second-hand fashion, millennials seem to be more interested. 70 percent of them buy second-hand, compared to only 60 percent of Gen Z.
For the study, Stylight surveyed 3,500 participants in its main markets of France, Germany, Italy, the US and the UK at the end of 2022.
The survey was conducted by Stylight.
This article was published on FashionUnited.fr. Translation and editing: Barbara Russ