More than half of Gen Z grocery shoppers "always/frequently" choose a place to shop due to its store brands, according to a new PLMA consumer research report called "Gen Z Loves Store Brands: America’s Youngest Consumers Speak Out on Grocery Shopping, Stores and Brands."
In the survey, 67% of Gen Z said they are "extremely/very" aware of store brands, while 64% said they buy store brands "always/frequently." Fifty-six percent are "extremely likely/likely" to experiment with store brands to find "best value," and 51% said they "always/frequently" choose a place to shop due to its store brands.
Among other findings:
- Fifty-three percent of Gen Z said "Valuable" describes store brands "precisely/very much."
- Fifty-two percent of Gen Z said "Reliable" describes store brands "precisely/very much."
- Fifty percent of Gen Z said "Variety" describes store brands "precisely/very much."
Sara Williamson, Ph.D., assistant professor of marketing at Suny Old Westbury, analyzed the survey results and presented her findings at PLMA’s 2023 U.S. Private Label Trade Show in Chicago.
"Gen Z store brand purchase frequency is most strongly driven by a perception that store brands are 'reliable,'" Williamson said. “Reliability perception is a stronger store brand purchase predictor than any other measure, including household income and monthly grocery spending."
The impact of store-brand reliability is a solid indicator that the manufacturer-retailer relationship is more important than ever, Williamson said.
“To succeed with Gen Z, retailers must establish a foundation of store brand suppliers who meet their customers' quality expectations," she said.
Click here for the full report.
