Generation Z, also known as “Gen Next” (Igel & Urquhart, 2012), loosely includes people born between 1995 and 2015 (Pew Research Center, 2018 as cited in Betz, 2019). In Karl Mannheim’s (1952) three stages of generation formation, membership of the same age group alone is not enough (Pyöriä, Ojala, Saari and Järvinen, 2017). With more than one-third of the world’s population regarding themselves as Gen Zer’s, they are likely to soon exceed Millennials as the most populous generation on earth (Deloitte, 2019). Some consider members of Generation Z to be smarter, more self-directed, and more able to quickly process information than previous generations (Igel & Urquhart, 2012) as well as being increasingly involved in the online medium (Vitelar, 2013). In fact, they have never lived without the Internet (Williams & Page, 2011). Many representatives of Generation Z have become accustomed to interacting in a world that is “connected at all times” (Turner, 2015 as cited in Reinikainen, Kari and Luoma-aho, 2020). Simangunsong (2018) interpret their generation as one who wants to get everything “easily and quickly”. The impact of this generation’s has seen to be “swift and profound, its effects rippling through the workplace, retail consumption and technology” (Deloitte, 2019).
Generation Z are believed to have very different habits from previous generations such as Generation Y who were born in or after the 1980’s and who entered the labour market in the 2000’s (Pyöriä et al. 2017). Unlike previous generations, Gen Z is seen as the only generation which can fully be considered “global”, while its cohort members were born in the consolidated context of globalisation (Pavlić & Vukić, 2019). Despite their differences, Williams & Page (2011) have identified some possible similarities between Generation Y & Z. Both cohorts are tremendously image driven; they experience a high degree of shopping enjoyment. Even at a young age Gen Z already had a huge effect on family buying decisions. Along with their considerable influence, Peer acceptance is very important to Generation Z as they need to belong (Williams & Page, 2011). Williams & Page (2011) insist Gen Z have a greater need for connecting with their peers, fitting in, and social networking than any other generation. However, as the newest generation, The Gen Z members’ interpersonal skills are considered problematic for this generation (Bejtkovsky, 2016).
Sethna and Blythe (2019) state that age subcultures exist because the members have differing attitudes and values; this is often called the generation gap. In some cases, people retain behaviours and attitudes that were current in their youth. For example, this could typically be the case with fashion trends. Each generation has unique expectations, lifestyles, values, and demographics that influence their buying behaviours (Williams & Page, 2011). The Accenture (2017) survey notes that there are three main factors based on which Gen Z consumers generally make purchase decisions: lowest price/best deal, display of the merchandise and reviews of other peers (Thangavel, Pathak and Chandra, 2019). Brand owners and marketers will have to better understand the generations behaviours and habits in consuming media which will allow them to build long-term relationships with them (Simangunsong, 2018). Marketers are increasingly targeting the Generation Z segment who are discerning consumers who think a lot about what they are going to wear and make purchases themselves (Williams & Page, 2011).
“Many companies doing business in today’s eco-conscious world will find that sustainability is not an option; it is a necessity” (Su, Tsai, Chen and Lv, 2019).
Recent research shows that Gen Z are much more knowledgeable on sustainable living than previous generations (Su et al. 2019). They understand the “why” of being ecologically friendly but have difficulty in the “how” to get involved (Su et al. 2019). Their experience of learning about the concept of sustainability is different to that of older generations (Boykoff, 2020). Gaining an understanding of Gen Z’s consumer group is vital to coordinating an effective approach to sustainability marketing as they represent a segment with a lot of potential (Su et al. 2019).
Gen Z members are considered content creators and use social media and instant internet connectivity for accessing resources (Vitelar, 2013). They have grown up to think it is natural to share your interests and find inspiration online from people they know or from complete strangers (Paakkari, 2016). As of recent, Generation Z have used social media and news media effectively to draw attention to issues of concern, for example, calls for tighter gun controls in USA after a horrific Florida school shooting in 2018 (Rue, 2018). They are also leading the movement against climate change and see it as an extremely important issue facing the world today (Holmberg and Alvinius, 2019). However, given their urgency to act on issues, and their awareness around these issues, it is necessary to explore why we have not seen the same amount of activism towards topics such as Fast Fashion.
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