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Much of What You Thought You Knew About Gen Z's Shopping Habits Is Probably Wrong

They’re willing to delay gratification, and they dig the mall, too.

gen-z-stats-CONTENT-2018 — A new survey suggests that Gen Z shoppers are more traditional and more patient than many thought.Getty Images

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For retailers who’ve been racking their brains in recent years over how to target millennials, here’s a bit of unsettling news: Gen Z is coming right on their heels. Not only that but, the prevailing wisdom goes, these newly minted consumers (now 23 and younger) want everything right away.

A quick scan of the research out there reveals the role immediacy plays in the lives of the youngest consumer cohort. A 2015 white paper from Ernst & Young, for instance, noted that Gen Z consumers “are impatient and will quickly discount those who can’t immediately deliver on their needs.”