Gen Z Adults Are Open to Trying New Brands

March 15, 2023

Gen Z adults are more apt than adults in general to say they’ll make an effort to try new brands in a variety of categories, although one stands out as engendering more loyalty than others, according to research from Morning Consult.

The survey results indicate that 42% of Gen Zers make an effort to try new apparel, shoes, and accessories brands, compared to 37% of adults overall. Moreover, compared to the typical adult, Gen Zers are more likely to say they’ll try new groceries and household goods brands (38% vs. 31%) and beauty and personal care products brands (36% vs. 28%).

In each case, Baby Boomers were the least likely to say they try new brands. This is in apparent conflict to recent research that found Baby Boomers saying they are the least brand loyal generation. The difference may be due to the specific categories being tested in this latest study as opposed to a general feeling of brand loyalty.

In fact, Gen Z’s openness to new brands is not as apparent in home furnishings and appliances, where the young demographic finds itself just as likely as the typical adult to try new brands (each at 40%).

And when it comes to personal electronics, it’s a different story. Only about one-quarter (26%) of Gen Z adults make an effort to try new brands in this category, trailing the 29% overall adult average.

In referencing these findings, the analysts note a “clear preference” for Apple products: favorability for these items is far higher among Gen Zers (71%) than the general adult population (59%), while the opposite is true for Samsung, where they have less favorability (63% vs. 74%). The iPhone in particular remains extremely popular among younger Americans, with the vast majority of teens surveyed by Piper Sandler consistently reporting ownership.

Interestingly, the Morning Consult research reveals that Gen Z adults are both patient buyers and high-volume shoppers. On the latter point, they’re more likely than Gen Xers and Baby Boomers to make monthly purchases in home furnishings, personal electronics, and apparel, shoes and accessories. In each case, they are right at the top of monthly purchase likelihood alongside Millennials, with the older generations trailing. Gen Zers are closer to Gen Xers than Millennials in monthly beauty and personal care product purchases, while all the generations are bunched tightly around the 90% mark for monthly groceries and household good spending, as to be expected.

As regards buying timelines, in each category tested Gen Z adults were more likely than the aggregate of all others to say they take a month or more to make a purchase, and less likely to say they take a week or less. As the analysts note: “Given Gen Z’s propensity for trying new brands, this makes a ton of sense. The cohort is less likely to make habitual purchases over and over, and instead shops with consideration and intent more often.”

For more, check out the full survey results here.

About the Data: The results are based on surveys conducted from November 2022 to January 2023 among 6,622 total U.S. adults.

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