The need consumers feel to return to shopping physically after the pandemic is largely related to age, a study by Forrester demonstrates.
Reorientation
According to the research bureau, consumers are currently weighing up the added value of physical stores against online shopping. The Covid crisis forced consumers to shop online, but most stores have now reopened.
40 % of those surveyed indicated that they now have less enjoyment of physical shopping, and one-third no longer feel the need to go to the store, even when the pandemic will be completely over. However, this does not mean that stores are being avoided en masse: 40 % of American consumers point to the convenience and speed of physical shopping. Moreover, there is a social component to shopping.
Gen Z
More so than gender or disposable income, age determines shopping preference: for example, Generation Z consumers are most enthusiastic about shopping with larger groups of friends and family. The group aged up to 25 can also bring about the greatest change within physical retail.
Millennials, on the other hand, do not feel the need to return to physical stores and are more inclined than the average consumer to avoid it as much as possible.
