A new consumer survey conducted by TIME and its data partner Statista among more than 33,000 Americans reveals distinct shopping habits across every generation, from Gen Z to Baby Boomers. While older generations share many similarities in their preferences, Gen Z is proving to disrupt traditional consumer patterns completely.
How the Survey Was Conducted
The 10-minute online questionnaire asked participants to select categories in which they had researched or made a purchase within the past three years, listing up to three brands per category. Respondents then evaluated these brands on customer service, user experience, and quality using a scale from 1 (terrible) to 5 (excellent). Finally, they rated their likelihood of recommending the selected brands to peers on a scale from 0 to 10.
The resulting rankings highlight the brands each generation typed in most frequently and rated highest. For Baby Boomers, running sneaker brand Brooks takes the top spot. Generation X favors designer brand Kate Spade, while Millennials top their list with kitchen appliance brand Ninja. For Gen Z, bottled water brand Ice Mountain, which gained popularity on TikTok, reaches the summit.
Generational Divides in Retail
Certain product categories were left completely blank by Gen Z respondents, illustrating lifestyle differences compared to older age groups. Department stores, women’s clothing brands, and ovens were entirely absent from the generation’s results.
While Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials all ranked Nordstrom, no meaningful number of Gen Z participants listed a department store. Neil Saunders, Managing Director and Retail Analyst at GlobalData Retail, explains that luxury couture brands like Prada, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton have increasingly opened their own independent boutiques over the last decade rather than relying on department store counters. Saunders notes that department stores have experienced a declining market share and retail sales share annually.
Additionally, as younger generations shift toward online shopping and second-hand purchases, traditional malls have experienced falling foot traffic. Capital One Shopping Research notes that an average of 40 U.S. malls closed every year between 2017 and 2022.
Jeff Fromm, author of Marketing to Gen Z and Marketing to Millennials, explains that Gen Z mixes high-end and budget stores by shopping directly at places like Michael Kors, Coach, or Zara, calling them “the ultimate day-traders.” Fromm adds that Gen Z shows less brand loyalty to specific designers than past generations, preferring items worn by social media influencers while prioritizing spending on experiences like travel, concerts, sporting events, and viral foods over physical goods.
The Missing Oven Market
Reflecting those dining and lifestyle habits, zero oven brands appear in the Gen Z section of the survey.
While Gen Z engages with viral social media cooking videos utilizing countertop gadgets like air fryers and Instant Pots, Saunders highlights that younger consumers frequently rely on takeout from fast-casual eateries rather than traditional home baking. Platforms like DoorDash and Uber Eats provide rapid delivery options that were unavailable to older generations in their youth.
Jack Curran, Senior Analyst and Team Lead at IBISWorld—which published a 2026 report on U.S. household appliance manufacturing—stated via email that the gap might also stem from homeownership statistics. Only about 25% of Gen Z owns a home, meaning roughly 75% of the generation does not purchase large appliances like ovens and instead uses whatever comes with rented apartments.
Despite these distinct generational differences in shopping behavior, all age groups surveyed united in their appreciation for one particular fast-food establishment: Chick-fil-A.
