YOUNG &

FASHIONABLE
How younger consumers are shopping for fashion
Millennials and Gen Zs, again?
Marketers appear to have become obsessed with younger consumers. There’s a constant stream
of content being published describing the “unique” behaviour of Millennials and Generation Zs,
recommending the best approaches to reach and engage with them and describing how they’re
disrupting almost every aspect of life from the workplace to the high street.

Whatever you think of these reports, there’s no denying that Millennials and Gen Zs are becoming
increasingly influential and represent a high, and growing, share of purchasing power worldwide.

They have grown up experiencing some of the most rapid technological advances the world has
ever seen – changes that have not only influenced their behaviour but also their belief systems.

The behaviour of younger generations is often a precursor to cultural shifts in society so it’s no
surprise that brands are keen to engage with this group as they represent the fashion consumers
of the future.

To help understand their motives and habits, TranslateMedia has partnered with Drapers to survey
over 2,000 consumers aged 18 to 38 to find out how they shop for fashion and apparel. This
report analyses the results of the study and provides some specific examples of brands and
retailers that are actively engaging with consumers in these demographics.

1
CHAPTER ONE

Cultural shifts
Broadly, do you feel the fashion world is:

Fun

Inspiring
Diverse

An opportunity for self-expression

Welcoming

Something I barely think about

Educational
Confusing
Alienating

Something I aspire to work in

Too samey

Boring
Other
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

Source: Drapers 2019

Would you describe yourself as loyal to brands?

No. I shop with a

wide range of
brands and return
rarely.
17% Yes, I return to
the same brands
a lot.
34%

Relatively. I have
a few favourites
but I'm always on
the lookout for
new brands.
49%

Source: Drapers 2019

2
Experiences over things
Tom Goodwin famously stated in 2015 that the world’s largest taxi firm, Uber, owns no cars. The
world’s most popular media company, Facebook, creates no content. The world’s most valuable
retailer, Alibaba, carries no stock. And the world’s largest accommodation provider, Airbnb, owns
no property.

So, it's no surprise that the younger generation are less concerned with owning things and more
interested in enjoying experiences and shopping for items that allow them to define and express
themselves. They have grown up with the internet, are social media natives and comfortable with
using technology and communicating their beliefs. They are inspired by celebrity influencers and
are primed for consumer culture earlier than older generations but are still active in attempts to
improve society and solve social and environmental problems such as climate change which also
influences where and how they shop.

Young shoppers harbour a fairly positive sentiment about fashion. They find it fun, inspiring,
diverse and they see it as an opportunity for self-expression.

Young and loyal

It’s not all doom and gloom when it comes to loyalty either. Contrary to popular belief, young
fashion consumers don’t necessarily see themselves as disloyal, but instead, are keen to explore
and engage with new brands. Over a third said that they return to the same brands often and
almost half state that they are relatively loyal.

For legacy brands, taking a proactive approach to foster brand loyalty for young consumers now,
rather than later, can work to their benefit – especially when competing with pure-play retailers
such as Pretty Little Things. The UK-based womenswear brand attracted huge interest on social
media after collaborating with US celebrities Kendal Jenner and Kourtney Kardashian in 2016 and
2017 respectively.

ASOS for inclusivity

In 2018, eCommerce retailer, ASOS made the bold move of creating its own collection
specially targeted at Gen Z. The sportswear-inspired collection, Collusion, is "built for a
new generation united in their pursuit for inclusivity and representation" according to its
creators. This collection of sportswear and casual wear is gender-neutral and designed to
be mixed and matched.

Coupled with a diverse and aspirational marketing campaign, the UK-based retailer also
collaborated with niche influencers, fashion students and Gen Z activists which served to
reinforce its message of authenticity and inclusivity. The retailer’s business model for the
collection is to ensure it is ‘constantly evolving’ and to continue to recruit members of that
demographic to keep the Collusion brand fresh and relevant.

3
CHAPTER TWO

Online Habits
What do you enjoy about shopping online?

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
The hunt The It's It's fun To avoid It's Discovering I don't shop Other
for a convenience relaxing going into inspiring new brands online
bargain stores via blogs,
websites
and social
media

Source: Drapers 2019

What would you like to see more of from brands online?

Convenience-focused services (free returns, quick

delivery and collect)

Better images

Fashion and styling advice

Better fit technology - e.g. avatars fit predictors

Buy-now-pay-later

More video of people wearing items

Trend news

More diversity in the models used

News about what models/celebrities/style icons are wearing

'Insider' content like interviews with designers, the CEO and the
creative team
More product information (on manufacture, fit or styling the
product)
More diversity in the people who work in fashion

Other

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

Source: Drapers 2019 4

Make it easy
It’s no surprise that more than half of the
respondents said that convenience is what they
valued most. After all, they’ve grown up with
fast food, fast fashion and instant access to
information over the internet. In fact, when
asked about what they wanted to see more of
from brands, convenience-focused services
proved to be the most popular.

Payment is another part of the shopping

process that scores highly with young fashion
shoppers; some 82% say it is either very or
quite important. Some of the biggest barriers
faced by young shoppers centre around
delivery: in particular, having to wait for their
purchases, having to pay for deliveries and
returns and issues around inconvenient and
unpredictable delivery times.

It's clear that younger consumers expect other
aspects of their shopping experience to be just
as easy, quick and convenient as purchasing
goods online.
Shopping across borders
Young shoppers in the UK also have an
appetite for cross-border shopping. In fact,
nearly 60% of Millennial and Gen Z consumers
purchase clothing, shoes or accessories from
overseas brands either sometimes or often.

Cheaper products and finding items that are

Cheaper products and unique in their market are cited as the biggest
finding items that are reasons for purchasing goods abroad. Many

unique in their market younger shoppers also find international brands

more appealing.
are cited as the biggest
reasons for purchasing In fact, with the increased accessibility of
goods abroad. localised websites, improved logistics and a
variety of payment options now available,
cross-border eCommerce has been outpacing
domestic growth with a compound annual
growth rate of 17% since 2017, compared with
12% for eCommerce as a whole. This growth is
predicted to continue well into 2022.

5

While editorial content is an important part
of the shopping experience, getting product
page content right is crucial if you want
consumers to feel confident enough to
purchase your products online. 95% of
those surveyed read product descriptions
either every time or sometimes.
What they look out for the most is
information on fit, materials used, care
instructions, information on provenance and
ethical sourcing.
Remember, product pages should include all
the information that a customer needs to
make an informed purchase decision
without having to navigate to another page
to find out more.
THE ROLE OF
PRODUCT
DESCRIPTIONS
BUY NOW
If you’re launching ethical products or
repositioning your brand for the integrity
economy, updating your product
descriptions to reflect this can be used to
your advantage.
Pretty clever things
Pretty Little Things creates detailed
product descriptions including size
guides, fabric composition, care
information, delivery and returns
information and even a promo
countdown feature embedded in the
product description to create a sense
of urgency for the customer to boost
conversion rates.
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CHAPTER THREE

Mobile & Social

Do you shop using mobile apps?

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

Source: Drapers 2019

Have you ever discovered a brand on social media?

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

Source: Drapers 2019

7
 Have you ever purchased from a brand by clicking
through from a social post?

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

Source: Drapers 2019

Smartphone obsession
of sales for
ASOS occur on
Millennial and Gen Z shoppers are mobile devices
unsurprisingly avid users of mobile apps; over
70% reported that they use these apps not
only as a convenient way to shop, but also to
discover new content and products. The ASOS way
Younger consumers are also prevalent on
ASOS has consistently made strides in
social media and over 63% of young
the way it adapts its mobile offering to
shoppers said they discover brands on social
cater to the needs of younger
media networks and over 70% have
audiences. More than half (58%) of
purchased from a brand by clicking through
sales for ASOS occur on mobile
from a social media post.
devices according to Digiday UK, and
in 2018, the eCommerce retailer’s
While Millennials may have set the standard
mobile app was downloaded over 10
for social media usage, Gen Z is active in
million times.
reshaping it and retailers need to be open to
the changes that will inevitably arrive if they
ASOS recently released an update for
expect to survive.
its mobile app that allows users to
upload images of clothing they like and
the app will suggest recommendations
of similar items they have in stock.

8
 Over 63% of young
shoppers said they
discover brands on
social media and over
70% have purchased
from a brand by
clicking through from
a social media post.

Here today, gone

tomorrow
While social platforms such as Facebook and Demetrius

Twitter were the prime destinations for

millennials in the past, both Millennial and Gen
Zs now see bite-sized visual media as
en-vogue with YouTube, Snapchat and
Instagram, in particular, becoming common
destinations for fashion inspiration and advice.

So, it’s no wonder that ephemeral content -

primarily images and videos that are only
accessible for a brief period - have become so Demetrius

popular with younger fashion consumers.

9
CHAPTER FOUR

Stores
What do you enjoy about shopping in store?

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Trying I like Going Avoiding I enjoy I find it I never Other
on browsing with the the inspiring shop in
clothes and finding friends annoyance atmo- store
things I or of missing sphere
wasn’t family deliveries
looking for

What things do you not enjoy about shopping in store?

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

Crowds Sizes being The travel Lack of Other

out of stock customer
bathrooms

10
If all issues with online shopping could be erased, do
you think you would cut out store shopping altogether?

I already have
1%
No
14%

Quite unlikely Quite likely

16% 42%

Yes
27%

Source: Drapers 2019

The in-store experience

When it comes to shopping in-store, Millennials and Gen Z like
nothing more than trying clothes on and discovering items they
weren’t necessarily looking for.

They also enjoy the social aspects of shopping in-store but are
frustrated by busy crowds and their size being out of stock.

If retailers want to stand out from the crowd and attract

customers to their stores, investing in the in-store experience
and experimenting with new ways to engage customers is key.
Nearly 43% of Millennial and Gen Z shoppers said they were
quite likely to cut out shopping in-store altogether if issues
with online shopping (such as the speed of deliveries and
frictionless returns) could be resolved.

Although online shopping experiences are far from perfect,

ensuring that your in-store experience is as easy and
convenient as your desktop and mobile offering can make the
difference between consumers shopping with your brand or
purchasing a similar product from one of your competitors.

11

Burberry is one of the few luxury brands that
has fundamentally changed how it operates
and delivers value to its customers by investing
heavily in developing new technology to
enhance the in-store shopping experience
while remaining true to its principles and vision.
With floor-to-ceiling digital displays in all its
stores and a Beauty Box conceptual store
which specifically targets beauty customers
allowing them to try new products using
augmented reality, Burberry is a prime example
of a retailer embracing technology to retain and
convert customers in-store.
In 2014, Burberry launched its opt-in Customer
1-2-1 tool allowing sales assistants to create
customer profiles with the ability to add a visual
wardrobe, product and fit preferences and
information regarding the customer’s on-and
offline transaction history to provide
personalised shopping recommendations.
CUSTOMERS USING
MULTIPLE TOUCH POINTS
SPEND AN AVERAGE OF 4%
MORE ON EVERY SHOPPING
OCCASION IN STORE AND
10% MORE ONLINE.
A study of US retailers by Harvard Business
Review found that customers using multiple
touch points were more valuable to retail
businesses, spending an average of 4%
more on every shopping occasion in store
and 10% more online than single-channel
customers.
There’s also strong evidence to suggest that
positive sentiment around the use of
automation to improve the quality of
products and services, and making them
more accessible to consumers, is increasing.
Luxury fashion eCommerce retailer, Farfetch,
has certainly staked its claim on what an
automated store might look like with its
concept store – the Store of the Future.
Here, the brand showcases the latest in retail
technology and aims to revolutionise the way
customers discover new lines, purchase
products and interact with staff using a suite
of large interactive touch screens dotted
around its concept store.
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CHAPTER FIVE

Values-led shopping
How important is it that a brand shows it is
environmentally sustainable?

Not very
6%

Slightly
17%
Very
36%

Quite
41%
Source: Drapers 2019

For you, how important is it that a brand shows it is

pro-equality (across race, gender, sexuality or
disability lines)?
Not very

Fairly
Very

Quite

Source: Drapers 2019

13
Attitudes towards
sustainability and
diversity
Both environmental sustainability and diversity are highly valued by young shoppers with more
than three-quarters saying it’s either very or quite important. Millennials and Gen Z consumers are
diverse and progressive when it comes to attitudes towards race, gender and sexuality.

Visibility in the media and marketing across race, gender,

sexuality and disability lines has historically been important to When asked how
marginalised communities; Millennials and Gen Z have important it is that
spearheaded inclusivity campaigns across multiple industries brands show they are
and retailers are now in a position to tap into this sentiment to pro-equality (across
connect with their customers honestly and authentically. race, gender, sexuality
or disability lines), an
Changing your brand logo to match the colour of the Pride flag overwhelming 71%
simply doesn’t cut it with young consumers and they aren’t said either very or
afraid to call out clichéd or disingenuous attempts to pander to quite important.
socio-political causes.

Brands risk losing sales from consumers concerned with sustainability and equality; almost half of
millennial and Gen Z shoppers say that they would abandon or decide against a purchase if they
felt that the brand didn’t reflect their values. When taking a deeper look into the data, men are
more likely to fail to complete a purchase than women (54% versus 44%).

Shoppers in the South East of England and London value sustainability particularly highly when
making purchases; some 63% of shoppers in London alone reported abandoning a purchase due
to concerns of sustainability. It’s important for brands to realise that tapping into the integrity
economy isn’t just about supporting an event or cause every now and then, retailers are
encouraged to show their support all year round.

14
Have you ever abandoned or decided against a
purchase because you felt that the brand didn’t reflect
your values on either sustainability or equality?

60

50

40

30

20

10

Source: Drapers 2019

Do you actively hunt for brands that are sustainable or

vocal about furthering equality?

60

50

40

30

20

10

Source: Drapers 2019

15
Operation:
eliminate landfill
H&M has consistently invested in boosting
its environmental and ethical credentials by
allowing customers to return unwanted items
in exchange for vouchers and has also
created a denim range with recycled
materials. But tapping into the integrity
economy is a huge challenge for retailers,
particularly fast fashion brands that have
been negatively affected by the stigma of
poor working conditions in South Asian
countries and environmental concerns.
To tackle this, brands like Adidas are taking
sustainability a step further. Its ‘eliminate
landfill’ initiative aims to collect your old
trainers, repair them and give them a second
life with someone new.
The German-based sportswear brand has
also unveiled its Futurecraft.Loop running
shoe designed from the ground up to be fully
recycled. Scheduled to be released in 2021,
Adidas produce the shoes using
thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), rather
than multiple materials, which are glued
together. Once the shoes have worn out,
customers can send them back to Adidas to
be broken down into pellets and made into a
new pair of shoes.
Google search trends also mirror this
growing appetite for sustainable fashion
worldwide, with some of the biggest rises
seen in Singapore, Denmark, Australia, the
UK and Hong Kong.
Google searches for “sustainable fashion
brands” in the UK alone has increased by
a whopping 450% since January 2016.
A report by Rank & Style found a 267%
increase in editorial mentions of the term
‘sustainable fashion brands’ among
publications such as Elle, Vogue and
Refinery29, between 2016 and 2018 in the
US; eco-friendly brands including Everlane,
Allbirds and Reformation have also seen a
rise in sales over the same period.
In 2018, the UK-based fashion search
platform, Lyst reported searches for
‘sustainable fashion’ surged by 66%, while
for more specific items, such as
‘sustainable denim’, the increase was even
higher, with page views up by 187%.
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CHAPTER SIX

Convenience
Would you rent clothes if your favourite brands offered
that service?

60

50

40

30

20

10

0 No Yes Not sure

Source: Drapers 2019

How often do you add items to a basket and then wait

for payday to make the purchase?

Never
12%
Often
21%

Rarely
23%

Quite often
21%

Source: Drapers 2019

17
How likely are you to bring a purchase forward if you
could pause payment until payday?

Not very
16% Very
31%

Fairly
14%

Quite
39%

Source: Drapers 2019

How do you feel about making purchases using a

deferred payment method?

Not comfortable
at all
17% Very comfortable
26%

Fairly
comfortable
19%

Comfortable
38%

Source: Drapers 2019

18
 Buy now, pay later
Shoppers at brands including Topshop, JD
Sports, Missguided and Miss Selfridge offer a
buy now, pay later service through Klarna
which gives customers a 14 to 30-day
interest-free period to allow them to pay for
their items when it’s convenient. The
Swedish-based financial services company
also provide long-term instalment plans for
customers that would like to split their
payments over a longer period.

While these convenience-focused services are

popular with customers and brands alike,
Millennial and Gen Z shoppers in the UK don’t
share the same sentiments towards renting
clothes; more than half said they wouldn't rent
clothes if their favourite brands offered the

High expectations service.

It’s a trend that’s proven quite popular in China

As we’ve seen, inconvenience is one of the
where the rental and sharing economy is
biggest bugbears for young shoppers.
booming. In the US, Urban Outfitters launched
a clothing rental service for its US customers in
Around two-thirds say they add items to their
May 2019 with the hopes of attracting 50,000
baskets for payday purchases; 69% of
subscribers and generating $50 million in its
respondents say they would be likely to bring
first year.
purchases forward if they were able to defer
payment.
Although the appetite for exploring the rental
economy is mixed, at best, with young
With eCommerce retailers such as Amazon
consumers, it is an area where further
offering next and even same-day delivery
development is likely to take place as brands
services for Prime members and ASOS offering
test the waters and build a reliable and
a similar service for less than £10 a year,
cost-effective infrastructure to support the
convenience is becoming a priority for retailers.
100% return rate model.
Logistics services such as Doodle have been
used by brands like Missguided and Farfetch
for a number of years in order to meet
consumer expectations for timely deliveries and
convenient returns.
More than half of
Millennial and Gen Z
With Doodle, shoppers can purchase products shoppers said they
which can be delivered (and returned) to a local wouldn't rent clothes if
convenience store, supermarket or even a their favourite brands
phone shop, depending on available local
offered the service.
partners in the customer’s area.

19
KEY

Takeaways
Revisit your loyalty programme
Millennial and Gen Z shoppers aren’t as loyal as previous generations. They may
have their favourite brands, but they’re always on the lookout for new experiences
and products.

Create borderless shopping experiences

Young shoppers are convenience-focused. For them, shopping should be
borderless and if they don’t find what they are looking for in their own market,
they’re happy to shop internationally for unique products that are suited to them.

Adapt your in-store experience

Trying on clothes and the social aspects of the in-store experience are still
popular with Millennials and Gen Z shoppers. To remain competitive, retailers will
need to adapt their physical stores and implement technology to inspire
consumers and take advantage of the social aspects of shopping in store.

Define and communicate your values

Environmental sustainability and equality are extremely important to the younger
generations. There’s a growing number of Millennial and Gen Z shoppers who are
eager to spend their cash with brands that share their values. Tapping into the
integrity economy shouldn’t be a ploy, it must be woven into your brand ethos
and communicated consistently all year round.

Keep up appearances on social media

Gen Z is reshaping the way we use social media and retailers need to ensure
they’re ready to adapt to cater to shifting trends in behaviour as they happen in
order to stand out from their competitors.

Inconvenience is not an option

With the biggest bugbears for young shoppers centred around the inconvenient
delivery and returns processes, the focus on convenience should be a priority for
retailers. Competing with the likes of Amazon and ASOS will be a huge logistical
challenge so partnering with specialists in payments and logistics should be
considered in order to improve the user experience and give young shoppers the
choice and convenience they increasingly expect.

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About
TranslateMedia
TranslateMedia is a language service provider and technology company that
helps global brands expand into new developed and emerging markets by
ensuring that marketing messages are adapted to suit the needs of specific
target audiences while maintaining the intent, style, tone of voice and context
of the original.

We provide the technology to seamlessly integrate eCommerce stores and

mobile apps with our translation management platform, STREAM, allowing
for high levels of automation while delivering high-quality localised content
regardless of the target country, language or audience.

Unmistakably you. In all languages, across cultures.

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