Generation Z shoppers, despite representing a big opportunity, are posing a fresh set of challenges for online fashion retailers to cope with.

According to a survey of 2,191 UK adults, conducted by YouGov and commissioned by Apptus, Gen Z shoppers are the most comfortable generation when it comes to buying online – with 86 per cent visiting fashion store websites compared to 59 per cent among those over 55.

The fact they have grown up almost entirely in a digital world has led 18 to 24-year-olds to expect a seamless experience with deep levels of personalisation when shopping online.

48 per cent of Gen Z respondents said fashion retail websites remembering previous purchases and making recommendations is sign of good customer service. Breaking that down further, 49 per cent like ‘people who bought this also bought’ recommendations – compared to 18 per cent of those aged over 55 – and 56 per cent like ‘you might also like’ recommendations – as opposed to 22 per cent amongst people aged over 55. In addition, 44 per cent of Gen Z online fashion shoppers appreciate autocomplete search boxes versus 17 per cent of their elders.

On the other hand, Gen Z shoppers are not interested in hard sell conversion tactics. Only 10 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds said they liked when websites emailed them after they visited a site, and just 12 per cent like ‘X people bought this in the last hour’ messages.

“These findings point to a generation that values a seamless, low friction experience online.  An experience that is shaped by relevance and consistent personalisation across every aspect of the online environment – not just search, recommendations and navigation but product selections, listings and sort orders,” said Andrew Fowler, UK country manager at Apptus.

“That level of customisation for every visitor simply cannot be achieved manually.  In fact, it is a task that computers and machine learning could have been invented for. The power to gather vast quantities of customer data then act on it to deliver ever more relevant and tailored experiences will quickly become a must have as this new generation of shoppers makes its presence felt.”

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