Gen Z online shopping behavior in Italy – statistics & facts
In the country with the fourth-highest median age worldwide, Gen Z shoppers can be an interesting species to observe, being a small part of the population. In Italy, consumers belonging to the Generation Z purchase quite differently than Italians of other age groups, especially online.
Gen Z shoppers might have owned a smartphone way before having a bank account. Familiarity with mobile technologies explains the strong preference for mobile payment methods over pre-paid and credit cards. Gen Z have high expectation of the overall purchasing experience, and a streamlined payment process plays a critical role in this. Although they do not necessarily demand for high levels of automation, Italian Gen Z consumers contacting a company expect human customer service to respond immediately.
A generation of mobile-first, digitally native, and social media-influenced has entered the Italian e-commerce market, challenging brands and retailers willing to engage them.
A series of unfortunate events
The global COVID-19 pandemic followed by ramping inflation and economic stagnation have shaped the shopping behavior of Zoomers, the most likely to trade down when purchasing a product, if compared to older consumers. Italian Gen Z opted for lower-priced items and favored e-commerce over physical stores when wanting to spend less money. In 2023, about 60 percent of them believed they could find products at lower prices on e-commerce channels. The habit aligns with their general reluctance of shopping in store. Over half of Gen Z shoppers never or rarely use stores as collection points for their online purchases.The shopping cart of Gen Z e-shoppers
The grocery segment shows the most striking difference between generational cohorts, as Gen Z shoppers are the most eager to use grocery delivery services. Regardless of the product category, the customer journey often starts on social media, with YouTube still being more popular than TikTok. Among Italian young shoppers, the potential of influencer marketing is enormous, as nearly 60 percent of them did purchase a product recommended by a social media influencer in 2023.Gen Z shoppers might have owned a smartphone way before having a bank account. Familiarity with mobile technologies explains the strong preference for mobile payment methods over pre-paid and credit cards. Gen Z have high expectation of the overall purchasing experience, and a streamlined payment process plays a critical role in this. Although they do not necessarily demand for high levels of automation, Italian Gen Z consumers contacting a company expect human customer service to respond immediately.
A generation of mobile-first, digitally native, and social media-influenced has entered the Italian e-commerce market, challenging brands and retailers willing to engage them.
