Gen Z ditches cookbooks and turns to TikTok for recipe inspiration
Only 32 per cent use cookbooks while 45 per cent get inspiration from family and friends. This shows a move away from what were considered traditional sources of inspiration.
According to the survey, two thirds of the 1,000 Gen Z adults surveyed follow food content creators on social media and consider influencers as the most trustworthy source for food content. This is ahead of celebrity chefs and cooking channels.
The study, commissioned by Publicis Commerce, found Gen Z spends nearly four hours on average, each week, consuming food-related content on social media, it also showed that 42 per cent are purchasing their ingredients through social media content.
Discount codes and affiliate links were significant incentives, while speed and convenience were also key factors, as 21 per cent claimed this method of shopping sped up the process.
Other benefits mentioned included saving them the trouble of searching for ingredients elsewhere (37 per cent), making a trip to the shop (30 per cent) and jotting down a list (22 per cent).
Steve Ricketts, chief commerce officer at Publicis Media, commented: "The way Gen Z shops is clearly being shaped by what they see online, with platforms like TikTok turning food content into an easy way to purchase.
"For brands, that means the time between inspiration and buying is shrinking and the implications for how people shop are huge. We help clients navigate that change, making sure their products are discoverable and shoppable in the right moments."
The research also indicates this transformation in shopping habits could be fostering a new generation of home cooks.
A third admitted they never dine out due to financial pressures and time constraints.
More than half relish cooking and exploring new recipes, whilst 42 per cent favour preparing quality meals at home rather than eating in a restaurant or café.
Nearly a quarter acknowledged they would find it difficult to devise meal ideas without the assistance of social media, and a staggering 63 per cent give it credit for encouraging them to sample flavours and dishes they wouldn't have considered otherwise.
The reesearch, carried out via OnePoll, also revealed the social media food trends people have tried to replicate, including bubble tea (33 per cent), roast dinner wraps (24 per cent), and pancake cereal (20 per cent).
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