Serious Woman With Shopping Cart In Grocery Store. Attractive Yo
Serious woman with shopping cart in grocery store. Attractive young woman pushing shopping cart and looking at shelves in supermarket. Shopping concept

Nearly 70% of Gen Z consumers are extremely or very aware of store brands, and 64% always or frequently buy store brands during their grocery store trips, according to a new report from the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA). Based on a survey of 934 consumers, PLMA’s report dives into the shopping behaviors of this digitally-minded, value-driven generation. 

More than 4 in 10 Gen Zers find shopping enjoyable, and they are more likely to shop for groceries in-store (74%) than online (26%). In-store shopping is also their primary source of product information (61%), well above other sources including social media (43%), word of mouth (32%), and conventional advertising (29%).

Compared to the Millennials PLMA surveyed in 2014, Gen Z is much more likely to purchase store brands during their grocery runs, and the majority feel positively about choosing these brands (39% feel extremely positively). More than anything, Gen Zers are looking for brands they can count on, and many have found store brands to be valuable (53%), reliable (52%), and trustworthy (48%). While PLMA’s research suggests Gen Z would also describe store brands as “cheap,” they don’t appear to consider this a negative trait.

Other than price, respondents said experience with the brand (28%) and expected quality (25%) are their primary reasons for choosing store brands. Many also look for brands that align with their personal values and beliefs, an extremely important factor for 30%. When deciding what products to buy, more than four in 10 (42%) Gen Zers say that the store brand image or reputation is extremely important.

Despite their affinity for store brands, Gen Z is not necessarily loyal to one particular brand, especially when they’re looking for the best price:

  • More than half (56%) are highly likely to experiment with store brands in search of the best value.
  • If prices go up for their preferred brand, 47% strongly agree that they’ll seek out alternatives.
  • Only about a third (32%) strongly agree that they’re more brand loyal than other people. 
  • Just 27% say they’re highly likely to forgive brands when they make a mistake.

See the full report for more insights into Gen Z’s grocery shopping habits and attitudes toward store brands.

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