Read more: See hereEvery year, market researchers slice and dice the vast army of consumers by generation, studying them for their retailer clients who use the data to create and target marketing and advertising programs. One of the challenges in getting it right is that time marches on—the generations are constantly evolving.
For example, Gen Z consumers are commonly referred to as a group when, in fact, the age range is said to be from 12 to 27—an unlikely mix. The next oldest generation is the Millennials, roughly aged 28 to 43. Same 15-year spread, and also an unlikely grouping.
So, in the past couple of years, social scientists have begun using the term "Zillennial" or "Zennials" to describe those born between 1990 and 2000—24 to 34 years old. I was thinking about all this recently when it hit me that I was just 26 when my wife and I bought our first home. We'd been married only a couple of years.
On the other hand, there's growing evidence that owning a home may not have the allure it did when I was a young retail executive and recently married.
As we noted here recently , the concept of "underconsuming"—only buying what you absolutely need—has been trending lately among twenty-somethings. They are increasingly attracted to authenticity—real books, vinyl records, denim—and seem to have a disdain for conspicuous consumption.
Small wonder. In so many ways, Zennials have had a raw deal since 2019. The youngest were in college when the world closed down, schools locked their doors, and classes went online. Many who were starting out or in the early years of their careers found themselves working instead in fast food restaurants, big-box stores, or at work-from-home gigs for minimum wage. Then they quit.
Since the old rules no longer apply, where do merchants find these younger consumers, and how do they engage with them? Increasingly, social media platforms like TikTok are becoming storefronts where younger consumers are exposed to content created by influencers.
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