Buy Online, Avoid People? GoDaddy Survey Uncovers New Gen Z & Millennial Shopping Habits
GoDaddy Consumer Pulse highlights ways younger shoppers bend the rules in commerce
TEMPE, Ariz., May 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey by GoDaddy (NYSE: GDDY) found the latest quirky shopping habits Gen Z and Millennials have adopted are changing the landscape of commerce — with some possibly unintended consequences.
In the latest GoDaddy Consumer Pulse* survey of 1,500 U.S. consumers, half of Gen Z (54%) and Millennials (50%) polled in March prefer shopping methods that allow them to avoid other people, like Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store, self-checkout or online shopping, over shopping methods that let them interact with others. Fewer than 1 in 3 (29%) Gen X and Boomers feel the same way.
Younger consumers' priorities appear to starkly contrast with older generations. The new data shows night-and-day differences in the ways these younger generations shop.
Bots over humans: 15% of Gen Z and 10% of Millennials prefer talking to a chatbot over a human customer service representative, compared to 3% of Gen X and Boomers.
Curbside pickup or bust: The majority of Gen Z (86%) and Millennials (76%) purchase items online for in-store or curbside pickup at least once per month, with 1 in 4 Gen Z (23%) and Millennials (27%) doing so weekly. This is in contrast to half of Gen X and Boomers (51%) who never purchase items online to pick up at or in the store.
Budgetless shopping: About 4 in 10 Gen Z (39%) and Millennials (43%) have used Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) to purchase items they couldn't afford, compared to 22% of Gen X and Boomers. Only 16% of consumers have never used BNPL.
Working hard or hardly working? Gen Z and Millennials shopping habits know no time bounds, particularly during the workday. Half of Gen Z (54%) and Millennials (50%) report they shop online while at work, compared to only 18% of Gen X and Boomers.
Digital wallets > credit cards: 54% of Gen Z and 41% of Millennials have skipped completing a purchase due to a business not accepting digital wallets, such as Apple Pay or Google Pay, compared to Gen X or Boomers (17%). 1 in 10 (10%) Gen Z only use their phone to pay for items when shopping in-person, with 5% of Gen Z reporting they don't even carry a physical wallet anymore. In contrast, more than 1 in 4 (27%) Gen X and Boomers have never used digital wallets.
Big or little lies? Around 1 in 4 Gen Z (27%) and Millennials (25%) said they have lied to be able to return an item they purchased, compared to 11% of Gen X and Boomers.
"Gen Z and Millennials want to shop online from their phones and be left alone, which makes providing an automated, personalized, yet hands-off experience for consumers all the more vital," said Alex Avramenko, head of commerce growth at GoDaddy. "Is your online store truly mobile-friendly? Is it easy to find options for digital wallet payments or in-store pickup? These aren't just trends. Consumers have consistently shown their desire for simple, convenient ways to shop and pay will make or break a sale, and small businesses need to adopt this new vision of what doing business looks like."
The different generations do agree on some things.
POS devices could be more user-friendly: More than half (51%) of consumers have felt anxious when paying for items in-person because of the point-of-sale (POS) device at the checkout, most commonly because they weren't sure how to use the device. This was felt more strongly by younger consumers, with 66% of Gen Z and 58% of Millennials and 44% of Gen X and Boomers feeling anxious at checkouts.
The physical wallet still reigns in retail: When shopping in-person, most consumers (59%) report carrying a physical wallet and exclusively paying with physical credit cards. However, 41% of consumers at least occasionally use their phone to pay for goods in-person.
Death of the laptop: More than half (56%) of consumers choose to use their phone when making larger online purchases of $150 or more, whereas only 36% would use their laptop, and just 8% prefer a tablet. Younger consumers are slightly more likely to prefer shop on their phones, with 70% of Gen Z and 63% of Millennials preferring to pay via a smartphone, vs. 49% of Gen X and Boomers.
Parking is not a dealbreaker: Most consumers (61%) said a lack of easy parking nearby does not factor into whether they will shop at a store. Although some people care about parking a lot. 4 in 10 shoppers (39%) report that they will not shop at that store that doesn't have easy parking nearby.
The data is clear—to capture consumer sales, small businesses need to sell online. This means businesses with a brick-and-mortar store need to sell both online and in-person.
Small businesses that don't have an online store can tap into the power of AI and use GoDaddy Airo® to build a website, generate a digital product catalog and more in minutes. For retailers looking for ways to provide more online conveniences, GoDaddy offers user-friendly smart point-of-sale terminals to enable younger consumer favorites like Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store and Tap-to-Pay.
To learn more about GoDaddy and its products, visit www.GoDaddy.com.
*GoDaddy Consumer Pulse is a series of surveys of consumers ages 18 and above conducted throughout the year.
About GoDaddyGoDaddy helps millions of entrepreneurs globally start, grow, and scale their businesses. People come to GoDaddy to name their idea, build a website and logo, sell their products and services and accept payments. GoDaddy Airo®, the company's AI-powered experience, makes growing a small business faster and easier by helping them to get their idea online in minutes, drive traffic and boost sales. GoDaddy's expert guides are available 24/7 to provide assistance. To learn more about the company, visit www.GoDaddy.com.
Source: GoDaddy Inc.
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