Scientific innovations, technological advances, economic developments, social events and political changes in the world we live in affect people’s lifestyles and cultures. These factors significantly affect the shaping of individuals’ lives, their adaptation to the social environment, their communication preferences, emotions, feelings and shopping behaviors, and create different eras. Various phenomena and events that occur in each generation (different social and economic opportunities and challenges, changing uses of technology, different social perceptions) cause generations to have different lifestyles and make different choices; each generation grows and acts according to the realities of its time period.
Discussing a topic on generational differences and examining different ideas are among the trends today. In this blog post, we will focus on the differences in purchasing behavior between generations. First, we will start by defining generations. Generations refer to groups of people who were born in a certain period and grew up in similar socio-economic and cultural conditions. Each generation is influenced by the period they live in and the major changes in areas such as technology, economy and politics.
Generation X (1965-1980) grew up with economic uncertainties and social changes. They generally have a pragmatic and flexible approach. They are competent in both analog and digital worlds. They are good at adapting to technology.
It can be defined as a generation that makes less hedonic purchases. This generation has a tendency to buy “need-oriented” and “long-use”. Generation X generally prefers long-lasting and quality products. This is due to the fact that they grew up in times of economic uncertainty. Since they grew up under the impact of economic crises, it is important for them to get their money’s worth. They look for a good price-performance ratio. Again, this generation prefers to shop from brands they are loyal to, because trust and familiarity are important to them. Generation Y (Millennials) includes individuals born between 1981 and 1996. They grew up with the rise of the internet and digital technologies. They are children of globalization and the information age. They value innovation, diversity and social responsibility. They prefer to do meaningful work and invest in experiences. Since they grew up surrounded by technology, they are very prone to online shopping. Since social media use is widespread, social media influencers and friends have a great influence on their shopping decisions. They prefer to invest in experiences rather than material goods. Travel, events and unique experiences are important to them. Their brand loyalty may be low, but they support socially and environmentally responsible brands. Generation Z (born in 1997 and later), as a generation that grew up in a fully digital age, has distinct characteristics in their purchasing behavior. They value speed, instant feedback and personalization. Since they were born and raised with technology, they prefer to shop on digital and mobile platforms. They are very active on social media and take influencers’ advice into account. Fast results and easy access are very important to them. They expect instant feedback and fast delivery. They are very interested in technological innovations and innovative products. They follow the latest trends. They like to interact with brands and feel a sense of community. They care about brands’ values and stories.
It is very important to recognize generations in their purchasing tendencies and to make brands, products and advertisements according to their expectations. Analyzing generational experiences objectively is another issue that needs to be considered. Here, neuromarketing tools can help provide objective and detailed information to analyze intergenerational differences and attitudes.
Reference: Psychologist Merve Altındağ
Dölekoğlu, C. Ö., & Çelik, O. (2018). Y kuşağı tüketicilerin gıda satın alma davranışı. Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi Tarım ve Doğa Dergisi, 21, 55-66.
