The youngest shoppers, Gen Z approach the wellness movement differently than Millennials because they never had to learn it. Rather, they were born into a world aware of the products and habits that are bad for them, and the choices that are healthier. Now, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, how brands and retailers respond will form their relationship with Gen Z.
Our Hot Topic report, “Gen Z Changes How You Need to Deliver WELLness,” reveals four key areas where the generations differ.
Gen Z Cut Their Teeth on Wellness. Are You Pacifying Them?
Born at a time when the consequences of their choices were part of their upbringing, today’s youngest shoppers are aware of the health risks of fast food, stress, sugary drinks and to be wary of medications. Further, the pressure of looking good and sounding good on social media, on top of knowing what’s healthy and what is not healthy, is more pervasive and weighty to this group than to the Millennials before them.
The result: They feel more stressed than Millennials, and that may be the single greatest influence that guides their path to WELL. As these members of Gen Z become shoppers, their conscientious choices grow increasingly evident.
Our new, focused report, “Gen Z Changes How You Need to Deliver WELLness,” reveals a few key areas in which Gen Z consumers differ from their Millennial cohorts when it comes to shopping WELL:
- Their stress is manifesting in other health issues. Six in 10 Gen Z shoppers told us stress is the leading obstacle to a healthy life, compared with 50% of Millennials. Nearly half of Gen Z consumers said they suffer from anxiety, depression and/or headaches.
- They are at the forefront of adapting natural remedies. More Gen Zers than Millennials use natural remedies instead of modern medications (a difference of 7 percentage points), and drink herbal or green tea (an 8 percentage point difference). Meanwhile, Gen Zers are less likely than Millennials to eat fast food – 58% compared with 51%.
- They understand that being healthy means looking healthy. Nearly half of Gen Z shoppers choose products that make them look healthier, compared with 36% of Millennials. Further, 63% of Gen Zers said looking better makes them feel healthier.
- They seek comfort in non-humans. Well more than half of Gen Z respondents told us they have a pet specifically to help them maintain good health. Pet ownership is the second most-common practice among this generation to promote wellness.
Gen Zers Know They Make WELL Choices all the Time
Compared with Millennials, Gen Z wellness spending has increased over the past year – 5 percentage points more. Considering this is a population of 72 million, that difference shakes out to millions of maturing customers actively willing to spend more for products they believe are healthier.
WELL is the status quo for Gen Z. Retailers and brands that want to matter to their members need to rethink how they represent wellness to them, from the ways in which they position their over-the-counter goods to the employee culture behind their wellness services.
Want to know more? WSL conducts regular, national studies to provide reliable data to meet your business agenda. Visit our Shopper Insights page here to see more about our Hot Topic reports, including “Gen Z Changes How You Need to Deliver WELLness.”
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- Shopping Without Boundaries: The Future Shopping World Created by Gen Z
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