Gen Z Purchases Driven by Social Media

Social media apps like Instagram and Snapchat are influencing purchasing decisions among Gen Z more than e-mail campaigns, rewards programs and more.

NORTH AMERICA–More than 80 percent of Gen Z and 74 percent of Millennials state social media influences their shopping, according to a recent study by Yes Lifecycle Marketing.

Comparatively, 58 percent of Gen X and 41 percent of Baby Boomers say social media influences their purchasing decisions.

When it comes to the variety of social channels available, 44 percent of Gen Z say that Instagram influences their purchasing decisions the most. Meanwhile, 21 percent find Snapchat most influential on their decisions–twice as much as Millennials, who report Facebook being the most influential social network for shopping.

“Facebook plays a significant role in the shopping experience for all generations, even among Gen X and Baby Boomers, who say they’re generally not influenced by social media,” according to the report. “And Facebook remains important for [Gen Z]; in fact, most teenagers still have Facebook accounts despite many studies reporting that they find it less interesting than Snapchat and Instagram.”

The report also found that more than half of Gen Z (57 percent) believe quality drives their loyalty to a brand more than any other factor–even more than price (55 percent), which every other generation values the most. Meanwhile, 50 percent of Gen Z based their last purchase decision on product quality, also more than any other generation.

Other highlights from the study include: