There really are SO many wonderful things about the festive season. Mince pies. Decorations. Presents. Everyone in a, sort of, better mood. Presents. Parties. Did we say presents?
There’s a lot to be said about finding joy in the small things during Christmas – and nothing quite contributes to that warm, fuzzy feeling like giving or receiving gifts.
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However, for Gen Z, this Christmas is set to look a little different to the opulence of their childhoods. Thanks to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, many are struggling to make ends meet.
This year, 72% of those aged 16-24 shared that the rising inflation will impact their festive spending.
When it comes to gift giving, they’re looking for the best deals: shopping earlier, spending less and stripping back on luxuries.
According to our data...
- 49% of US and UK Gen Z will be doing their Christmas shopping in November
- 80% of US and UK Gen Zers will consider shopping second hand for gifts
- 52% of US Gen Zers and 29% of UK Gen Zers will be financing festive shopping on credit cards.
As shared by Gen Zer, Beth, in our recent webinar “anything non-essential is a luxury now”.
Gift giving intentions
In the UK, 85% of Gen Z shared that they’d be giving and receiving gifts this festive season. Across the pond in the US, 83% shared they’d be buying gifts for others and 81% said they were expecting gifts to be bought for them.
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And what kind of products do Gen Z want to receive this festive season?
When it comes to the kinds of products they want to receive, Gen Z have their sights firmly set on some specific product categories…
- 69% of UK respondents and 65% of US respondents want fashion items
- 65% of UK respondents and 56% of US respondents want beauty and skincare products
- 42% of UK and 48% of US respondents respondents want technology items
- 26% of UK respondents and 40% of US respondents would like gaming products.
Securing Gen Z loyalty this festive season
There’s one word on everyone’s mind, and it rhymes with sch-miscounts...
A huge 89% of Gen Zers in the UK and 90% in the US want to see special offers and discounts during the festive period: so get involved! Make your discounts stackable by offering free delivery alongside student offers, or if you really want to capture Gen Z loyalty, things like free next day delivery don’t go amiss (for those last minute gift-givers!).
You can also incentivize consumers by creating bespoke product pages: for example, a landing page showing all items that are under £20. This puts the best value items right in front of Gen Z, incentivising them and likelier to checkout from your site.
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/656df30166253094650a652a/6581bce5b3b93badc446e625_image.png)
Want to find out more about how you can connect with students, achieve your objectives, and drive sales? Get in touch with our team today to find out more.
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