Want to win the hearts of Generation Z in the U.S.? First, take a look at their favorite platforms

Online platforms are dominating fashion shopping among Generation Z in the U.S., replacing traditional department stores such as Urban Outfitters, according to a study by social product recommendation platform Gist, which was based on an analysis of 8,000 Generation Z users and scans of 1.5 million shopping trips.

The study, which collected data from October/November 2019 to October/November 2021, found that Shein ranked first in Gen Z fashion shopping, followed by Zara. In just one year, Princess Polly, an Australia-based fast-fashion online retailer, jumped from eighth place in fashion e-commerce at the end of 2020 to third place at the end of 2021.

Data shows that as department stores decline in popularity, fast-fashion online retailers are gaining ground among Generation Z consumers. Traditional department stores have been sidelined by Generation Z, even online.

Before the pandemic, Nordstrom was ranked ninth among fashion online retailers. By the end of 2021, its position had dropped to 23rd.

In October/November 2019, Urban Outfitters ranked #1 among fashion online retailers and #4 among top stores for Gen Z shoppers. By October/November 2021, the retailer dropped to #16 among top stores for Gen Z shoppers.

According to Gist, Etsy has entered the top ten of Generation Z's favorite online shopping sites. Etsy ranked eighth on Gist's list for the first nine months of 2021 and rose to fifth place during the holiday shopping season. Generation Z likes to buy gifts on the platform the most.

Target has seen online purchasing activity among Gen Z consumers grow off a cliff over the past two years, soaring from seventh on Gist’s list in October/November 2019 to second in the same period this year, behind only Amazon.

Walmart is not popular among Gen Z. On Gist, Gen Z shoppers are twice as likely to shop at Target as Walmart.

Walter Haas, founder of Gist, concluded that the values ​​of Generation Z consumers are mainly: focusing on local creators (Etsy) and TikTok culture orientation (Shein, Princess Polly)

Editor ✎ Xiao Zhu/

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