Opinion: As Gen Z changes the way we shop, here’s what retail could look like in 10 years
Retail has long been defined by aisles you can stroll, products you can touch and interactions with staff whom guide your purchases. This conventional landscape, heavily reliant on physical stores and traditional advertising via television and print, once shaped the shopping experience, with the internet playing a minimal role.
Now, Generation Z, the first truly digital-native cohort, is rewriting the rules of engagement in the retail sector with their preferences and behaviors. Born into a world in which the internet, smartphones, and social media are ubiquitous, zoomers’ influence is shifting the retail paradigm from predominantly in-store interactions to a complex, integrated model that blends online and offline experiences seamlessly. Their comfort with technology and demand for instant, on-demand access to products and services are driving retailers to reimagine how they connect with consumers.