24 Unexpected Behaviors of Generations X, Y, + Z

1. 80’s metal-heads are running the world.
2. 90’s tatted-up skater boys + girls have kids.
3. 00’s emo kids are grown up — working 9 to 5’s.

Add a pandemic — to three very different generations…and shopping habits start to look a lot different. Let’s take a peek at their app + web behavior together.

First, we’ll talk Tidal.

It’s a new music app with 187% more Gen Z active users than just 1 month ago. Why? Well, it may have something to do with its higher fidelity and better user experience.

But, could this app really disrupt Spotify or Amazon Music?

Maybe. We need more time for these behaviors to play out 😉.  Yet, if you’re feeling a bit antsy, and feel the need to dig in deeper on this new app, you can start your search in Atlas Paths.

Meanwhile…

Visits to Motel 6 are up 27% for Gen Z. That may have to do with the current housing and rent crisis or be linked to low-budget vacationing. Here’s one way to know for sure.

Newegg.com also saw web visits go up, a full 140% in June. This could be tied to their new “PC Building” service. Or, it might be related to their high-demand, low-supply graphic cards.

Hertz car rental locations saw 74% more visits from May to June. Wait, didn’t they go bankrupt? Sounds like they’re running again.

Step (a mobile banking app that helps kids build credit early) rose 147% for Gen Z. It’s trending much faster than other financial apps like SOFI, up 87%. Looks like Zoomers are getting pretty independent.

And, hungry? Little Caesars saw 72% growth from May to June for Gen Z. Sounds like it’s a great time to grab a slice there since none of their competitors saw above 30%.

Taleo.net saw 119% more Zoomer visits month over month, which is likely due to the 9.8 million jobs currently available. So, if you’ve got Gen Z friends looking for a role, this app may be where they’re at.

Uber.com is also up 38% for Gen Z web visits. This seems strange, given that they provide rides on their app. If you’re in the rideshare world, it may be worth getting clarity on from Uber users.

Gen X is ready for love.

OKCupid‘s active app users rose 177% and Badoo‘s users rose 194%. It sounds like our Gen X counterparts are ready to reignite a flame, now that the pandemic is starting to die down.

They’re certainly comfortable spending cash. Alibaba (the $602Bn Chinese e-commerce retailer) had 162% more Gen X U.S. app users last month. See how that impacts Amazon, Walmart, and Shipt.

Gen X likes entertainment too. PlutoTV (owned by ViacomCBS) is up 58% for app users, adding to a saturated marketplace with Disney+, Netflix, and many more.

Finish Line’s Gen X foot traffic is up 42% compared to the prior month. So, our Gen Xers appear to be working hard to stay in shape for the summer, as states continue to re-open all activities after COVID.

Meanwhile, there’s been a potential shift in mainstream media. CNN.com saw 13% fewer visits while FOX.com saw 11% more. Curious? Ask those exact Gen X web visitors why they switched sites.

And it seems they’re no longer stockpiling. After all, Sam’s Club saw a downturn of 11% in their Gen X foot traffic. You can dig into the dayparts, purchase drivers. and non-buyers. If you’re hungry for more data.

Or they may have been hot. With this heatwave, Weather.com (the #15 most visited site for Gen X) was up 61%. Sounds like our Xers are ready for a cool down.

They could use a break. This may be why visits to IRS.com have fallen another 19%, with tax season tapering off, our Xers are hopefully headed for a more relaxed summer vacation.

So, what next?

That’s why we research, right? So, here are a few next steps to take.

1. Identify any potential weak spots in your advertising.
2. Bolster all of your marketing segments by speaking to an age-representative audience.
3. Then, see what’s changed in consumer behavior – both in-store and online for an omnichannel view.

You’ve got this.

Photo by Liliana Drew from Pexels