40% of customers give a brand only two seconds before switching to a competitor. Why? And how to avoid it?

Since the start of the pandemic, Generation Z has been making a lot more online purchases, and this audience has a particular intolerance for bad digital experiences and ease of changing their favorite brands:

• 80% are much more willing to try new brands on the Internet after the pandemic,
• 63% are intolerant of slow or poorly performing websites,
• 57% are now less loyal to brands than before the pandemic
• 37% either give up a purchase when they have an unpleasant online shopping experience or leave negative feedback about it.

Key research findings

1. Loyalty is a one-way street

With Gen Z, jokes are bad – brands must do everything right at once, otherwise, they will suffer economic and reputational losses. 57% of this generation are less loyal to brands than before the pandemic, and 80% are willing to try new brands on the Internet.

Retailers have no margin for error like 38% of shoppers only give a brand one second before switching to a competitor. If the online store is out of stock, 74% of Gen Z members will switch to another retailer.

On the other hand, 76% believe that brands they love should reward them for loyalty.

2. From an online surfer to a digital shopper

Before the pandemic, almost a third (31%) of Generation Z – digital-native – had never bought anything online. Since COVID-19, the vast majority (87%) say their online shopping skills have improved, with 26% using a mobile device to make an online purchase for the first time.

Now 63% believe that online shopping is much more enjoyable than shopping offline, with almost two-thirds (64%) of them already identified as digital supporters who want to continue to buy almost everything on the Internet.

3. Digital shopper

The overwhelming majority (83%) of Gen Zers view online shopping as a kind of experience, not a primitive transaction, and therefore their expectations from the process are quite high.

Three-quarters want an exciting new online shopping experience, and 71% expect a personalized experience. Speed ​​of delivery is critical here: 80% appreciate it when retailers are able to deliver in less than 24 hours. And 37% cite free shipping as the most important element of online shopping.