Less concerned with putting down roots, with shopping habits mixed between the physical and digital and with no patience for bureaucracy, the young people of this generation are gaining space among consumers. Retail, financial, real estate, education and energy experts analyze the scenario in each sector

75% of young Brazilians believe they have the power to influence the actions and behaviors of a global brand for the better. The data was released this year by Truth Central, McCann Worldgroup’s global intelligence unit, and reveals an important characteristic of Generation Z: it is attentive not only to what it buys, but who buys it. Among other particularities of this generation is the pragmatic, agile way of life that prioritizes transparent relationships, whether interpersonal or with organizations. 

The digital social context is inherent to the way young people between the ages of 11 and 24 place themselves in the world and influence living spaces. With this in mind, several sectors are already preparing for the changes that this generational group will demand from institutions. In the technological context, as a whole, being a digital native raises the level of excellence sought in services and products, whether digital or not. 

“When the internet was a world to be discovered, technology companies operated in a process of trial and error. Now, with a fully digitized generation, there is no room for bureaucratic and slow processes. Technological solutions, regardless of the area of ​​activity, must be as efficient, agile and transparent as expected by this audience”, explains Valdemir Silveira, co-founder and CEO of APIPASS, Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) responsible for connecting processes , software, systems and applications. 

For retail, the omnichannel generation

Generation Z could also be called the Omnichannel Generation, as they are the first to have their consumption habits mixed on the streets and social media in equal measure. These young people are used to shopping wherever and whenever they want, whether in a physical store, on the computer or on the cell phone. While the full buying force has yet to catch up with retailers, given the age group, the race to meet the future expectations of Gen Z consumers has already begun. The success of brands in the decades to come will not only be based on understanding what, how and who Zoomers are likely to buy from, but also on the retailer’s abilities to execute omnichannel experiences.

Looking ahead, beyond the Gen Z age group, Gen Alpha and subsequent generations will prove to be even more digitally savvy. For Marco Beczkowski, Director of Sales and CS at Manhattan Associates , a world leader in supply chain solutions, the retail reinvention cycle will likely have to start all over again 20 years from now. “The key to success for brands confronted by this continuous sequence of progress is being agile enough to not only introduce different digital commerce options, but also have the omnichannel capabilities needed to meet the expectations of these new groups.”

No room for bureaucracy in the financial sector 

According to PayPal, 22% of Zoomers have used “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) solutions since the start of the pandemic to buy more expensive, higher quality products. In that same period, 123% more Zoomers used BNPL than previously, the highest uptake of any generation. In addition, Gen Z has adopted mobile payment options, such as apps and e-wallets, faster than any other group. This expectation of being able to choose how to pay is something that permeates the consumption habits of Generation Z. 

For Felipe Santiago, CEO of CashWay , techfin from Florianópolis/SC, financial institutions need to keep up with these changes and be ready to offer an experience, above all, agile and efficient. “Generation Z hopes to resolve everything quickly and easily. This immediacy is a characteristic that needs to be taken into account when dealing with a market as bureaucratic as the financial one. Young people want access to services and apps that offer that level of convenience.” 

Defenders of sustainability 

Among the most striking characteristics of this generation is the conscious look at consumption. A report made possible by Electrolux in 2021 listened to 14,000 young people and showed that Generation Z is not only willing to change their lifestyle to save the planet, but also see themselves as a protagonist in this mission: 81% of young people in Latin America see themselves as champions of sustainability. This awareness strongly influences the buying habits of the generation, which starts to look more closely at the shares of companies before choosing who to buy from. 

When it comes to energy, companies that have the green seal, for example, gain preference. Furthermore, with the advancement of the opening of the free market, who was a consumer will become a customer: the residential user will be able to choose from whom he buys energy. According to Ricardo Grassmann, founding partner of Way2 , which specializes in measuring and managing energy data for companies, plants and distributors, new solutions, considering an empowered consumer, who has even more control over their own consumption, should emerge. “How will this generation buy energy up front? It’s still a big unknown. But some things we can already foresee, among them that it will be concerned with investing in clean and renewable energy, to reduce the effects on the environment”, he explains.

Generation less concerned with putting down roots

In the real estate market, zoomers have been breaking the paradigms that existed until then: it is the first generation, for example, that does not seem to give much importance to the famous dream of owning a home. “It’s a generation less concerned with putting down roots”, summarizes Fernando Hoppe, Marketing Director at GrupoRV , a real estate solutions company with a presence in more than 800 Brazilian cities. “A trend in the real estate market has been to focus on rentals, and on environmentally responsible, diverse and inclusive leasing processes”.

This is because this audience strongly values ​​responsible consumption and the expression of identity – that is, when a brand says it does something, it actually needs to do it; at risk of losing customers if you don’t follow your own speech. “They care about purpose, responsible consumption, socio-environmental awareness, diversity, connectivity, immediacy and personalization”, Fernando says.

According to a recent survey by the French advertising company Criteo, 34% of zoomers practice webrooming , that is, researching products online and then making the purchase in the physical store; while 18% perform showrooming , which consists of trying on the item in the physical establishment and then making the purchase online. “To serve this audience, digitization is mandatory. It is very important that communication is homogeneous across all channels”, continues Fernando. “Gen Z doesn’t know what a world without Google or social media is. They compare all information collected offline and validate it online.“

Education with flexibility

Contrary to the last decades, in which a person studied engineering to work solely as an engineer, the market demand today is for employees who have multidisciplinary knowledge — both to gain a broad view of the company’s performance and to seek solutions in a group. with other teams. The skills required to compose a solid professional profile are no longer just technical. Now, given the fluidity of the digital world in which Generation Z lives, soft skills , such as emotional intelligence, communication, innovation and analytical thinking, seem to be basic premises of any profession.

As a result, according to Leandro Herrera, CEO and founder of Tera , an education platform for digital professions, schools need to understand the demands of the new generation – greater flexibility in the way of learning, learning with practical projects and hands-on, formats that capturing attention in the midst of so many other informational stimuli — as well as adequately preparing these people for the market. For him, the ideal teaching model should link the personality traits and routine of each individual to their way of learning, in addition to integrating technology throughout the learning journey. 

“Generation Z is concerned with employability, but they live in a world where work is uncertain and where most of today’s professions will cease to exist. She needs to understand which skills are really essential for the present and future of work. The education model should be shaped in such a way that classes become spaces for social and cognitive development to fully exploit the technological knowledge and adaptability potential that this new generation presents, with an emphasis on human skills that are irreplaceable by automation. You also need to have fewer long and cumbersome courses with repetitive writing and reading, and more flexibility, mobile apps, microcourses and interactive activities. These are education techniques and methods that are much more aligned with the needs, as well as the potential,”, affirms Herrera.