Generations Y/Z VS Seniors: does age have an impact on customer expectations?

The pandemic has accelerated things even more by pushing all generations to consume online. Seniors have quickly found their rhythm and their online shopping behavior and expectations have evolved. But do generations Y/Z (18-39 years old) and seniors (50 years old and more) really have different expectations and habits? How can e-tailers adapt to the needs of these two generations?

This year, 45% of the Y/Z generations declared that they had made more purchases online than the previous year, while the seniors said they had not changed their habits. In fact, 65% of them said they bought as much as last year. The pandemic has changed the habits of younger generations more, who have spent more online than last year despite the containment.

Price VS punctuality

41% of generations Y/Z believe that the amount of delivery is the most important criterion when it comes to the delivery of products purchased online. Seniors are more pragmatic and say that timely delivery is the most important criterion at 40%.

Returns? A habit for all?

Returns are not part of the habits of all generations: the youngest among them make more returns than the seniors, at 15% and 2% respectively.

This can be explained by the habits of each generation: the younger ones were born in a connected world and are therefore more used to managing processes related to returns. The Y/Z generations are not apprehensive about the return stage, and even consider it relatively simple.

Covid-19, an impact on these generations?

The pandemic has changed the game: consumer behavior has evolved considerably. 30% is the percentage of younger generations who find the online customer experience more satisfying than in-store. The pandemic certainly accentuates this point.

E-commerce is therefore more important than ever and will continue to evolve over the next few years. E-retailers must continue their efforts by offering more personalized and adapted means of communication while remaining attentive to consumers.