PLMA Releases Gen Z Consumer Research Report
More than half of Gen Z grocery shoppers “always/frequently” choose a place to shop due to its store brands, according to new PLMA consumer research report, called “Gen Z Loves Store Brands: America’s Youngest Consumers Speak Out on Grocery Shopping, Stores and Brands.”
In the survey, 67 percent of Gen Z say they are “extremely/very” aware of store brands; 64 percent say they buy store brands “always/frequently;” 56 percent are “extremely likely/likely” to experiment with store brands to find “best value;” and 51 percent say they “always/frequently” choose a place to shop due to its store brands.
Among other findings:
- 53 percent of Gen Z say “Valuable” describes store brands “precisely/very much.”
- 52 percent of Gen Z say “Reliable” describes store brands “precisely/very much.”
- 50 percent of Gen Z say “Variety” describes store brands “precisely/very much.”
Sara Williamson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Marketing at SUNY Old Westbury, analyzed the survey results and presented her findings at PLMA’s 2023 U.S. Private Label Trade Show in Chicago earlier this week.
“Gen Z store brand purchase frequency is most strongly driven by a perception that store brands are ‘reliable,’” Williamson told PLMA. “Reliability perception is a stronger store brand purchase predictor than any other measure, including household income and monthly grocery spending.”
The impact of store brand reliability is a solid indicator that the manufacturer-retailer relationship is more important than ever, she said.
“To succeed with Gen Z, retailers must establish a foundation of store brand suppliers who meet their customers’ quality expectations,” she added.
Click here for the full report.