CONSUMER BEHAVIOR & TRENDS

Marcello Bevilacqua

It’s easy to reduce Gen Z’s shopping behavior to TikTok trends or viral “cores.” But that overlooks the bigger picture. While this generation has grown up with infinite choice and constant access to products and services, they’ve also dealt with persistent periods of inflation, economic uncertainty, and rapidly changing technology.

The result? A generation that can sometimes impulsively spend $200 while late-night shopping and, at the same time, spend weeks researching a $30 skin care product.

For retailers, this has translated to mixed signals. But here at Retail Brew, we have kept a close watch on the always-online younger cohort. From their willingness to pay for convenience and ease to their growing appetite for protein-packed foods and changing attitudes toward value, a few consistent themes emerge.

We broke down Gen Z’s shopping behavior into three categories that are reshaping the retail landscape.

Keep reading here.—JS

      

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RETAIL

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One of the biggest retail conferences of the year, eTail Boston, is kicking off today, and Retail Brew is on the scene. Reporter Vidhi Choudhary is moderating two panels, including a chat with David’s Bridal President and Chief Business Officer Elina Vilk on leadership strategies to drive AI adoption among employees, and another with Boll & Branch Chief Commercial Officer Katia Unlu on best practice for using AI in service-oriented retail.

Here’s what else is going on in retail this week:

In conferences: Also coming to Boston later this week is the NACDS Total Store Expo. The event unites mass merchants, supermarkets, and stand-alone drug stores that have pharmacy operations with pharmacy suppliers and other partners to discuss trends, survey the latest products and technologies, and explore potential collaborations. Product categories making an appearance in the exhibit hall include consumer package goods, over-the-counter, and beauty.

Keep reading here.—AV

      

STORES

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Albertsons Companies, the grocery chain that owns stores including Safeway, Shaws, and Jewel-Osco, recently announced its rolling out financial wellness benefits to its 280,000-person workforce.

The new suite of benefits, offered through a partnership with the financial well-being vendor Stream, includes earned-wage access (EWA). Though other employers in the grocery sector already offer benefits that allow employees to access their paychecks early, this is the first time Albertsons is doing so.

In addition to EWA, Stream’s platform also includes tools to track and budget earnings, build emergency savings, and gain insight into both short- and long-term financial planning.

Keep reading here on HR Brew.—CV

      

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swapping skus

Today’s top retail reads.

Table for none: Reservation apps and other middlemen have put a strain on the restaurant industry. (the Wall Street Journal)

Apart at the seams: Shein is scaling back its presence in Vietnam after an attempt to diversify its supply chain. (Reuters)

The new black: Spirit Halloween’s parent company acquires Hot Topic. (Retail Dive)

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