Gen Z Path to Purchase 2026

Shopping Sites and Apps Rival Stores for Purchases

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About This Report
Social media still sets Gen Z’s product discovery apart from that of non-Gen Z shoppers. But when it comes time to buy, Gen Zers are just as likely to turn to shopping websites and apps as physical stores.
Table of Contents

Our fourth annual path to purchase survey looks at how consumers discover, research, and purchase new brands and products. This report analyzes shopping behavior in 10 product categories, gauging the impact of traditional and digital media, as well as online and physical stores.

This deck covers:

  • An analysis of the key platforms that drive brand and product awareness
  • A breakdown of the various research tools that consumers use in the mid-funnel consideration phase
  • Insights into why and how consumers purchase newly discovered brands and products

authors

Paola Flores-Marquez

Contributors

Brian Lau
Senior Forecasting Analyst
Na Li
Director, Primary Research
Penelope Lin
Director, Data Visualization
Jennifer Pearson
VP, Research
Heather Sprung
Director, Report Editing
Sakina Thanawala
Copy Editor
Emman Velasco
Data Visualization Editor
Jherr Daven Velasco
Data Visualization Editor
Suzy Davidkhanian
VP, Content
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