By Julie A. Palm Generation Z may be digital natives, constantly connected to their electronic…
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Gen Z Can’t Resist the Urge to Click
By Julie A. Palm
Generation Z may be digital natives, constantly connected to their electronic devices, but they call themselves omnichannel shoppers, with more than half saying they buy home furnishings both in-store and online, according to new, exclusive Consumer Insights Now research.
The other half is evenly split: 24% say they buy furniture in-store and another 24% say they purchase furnishings online.
But when you dive deeper into the research, there are signs that this generation – at least at this stage of their life – is more drawn to buying online, even as two out of three say they prefer to shop in-store. And there’s one e-tailer, in particular, that draws them in. It’s a challenge for smaller retailers and brick-and-mortar stores.
This fall, Consumer Insights Now is diving deeply into Generation Z’s feelings about their finances and homeownership, their plans for purchasing home furnishings, their shopping preferences and habits, and more. (CIN surveyed only Gen Z adults ages 18-29; the youngest of Gen Z are age 14).
CIN research is conducted twice a year on behalf of Lighting News Now and its sister publications Home News Now, Casual News Now, Design News Now and Bedding News Now. This fall’s round of research is sponsored by Bread Financial.
Benefits of both
Feeling the financial squeeze of persistent high inflation and high interest rates, this generation is price conscious — and six out of 10 believe buying online is cheaper than shopping in-store. Like consumers of other generations, Gen Z shoppers also like the convenience of buying online and the wide selection of options they can find there.
“You can find better deals and prices online,” one survey respondent said. “I like the convenience of shopping from home and having it delivered,” said another.
But they see benefits to shopping in-store also.
More than three-quarters say furniture sold in-store is of higher quality than that found online and they appreciate being able to see, touch and test items in brick-and-mortar locations.
“I like being able to see and feel the quality, color and size in-person,” one respondent said. “There’s so much AI and scammy sites, so I prefer to make sure what I’m buying is actually the thing I’m buying.”
The big behemoth
But when asked “How will you shop for the furniture you plan to buy during the rest of 2026?” 55% answered “Amazon.” Specifically, Amazon. Some 49% say they will shop inside a furniture store. Another 35% say they’ll shop furniture retailer websites and 24% say they’ll shop furniture manufacturer websites. But Amazon was the top answer.
And for those who had already purchased furniture from January to August of this year, Amazon was the top source for all six product categories: sofas, primary bedroom furniture, occasional tables, mattresses, outdoor furniture and lamps.
Let’s talk about lamps
At least for now, this is a generation of renters, with only two in 10 owning a home. So, CIN focused its lighting questions on lamps rather than fixtures. (Gen X is hopeful about homeownership, with 38% planning to buy a home in the next three to five years. Another 23% say their home-buying timeline is just one to two years.)
More than one-third of Gen Z shoppers say they plan to purchase lamps this year, making it the No. 3 buy, behind only sofas/sectionals and primary bedroom furniture. That’s the good news.
But those general furniture buying patterns I noted above apply to lamps, too.
Of those who’ve already purchased lamps this year, 26% bought them on Amazon — their No. 1 answer. Another quarter (25%) purchased at a big box, 14% bought at a national furniture store like Ashley or Ikea, and 12% purchased from Wayfair.
Only 3% purchased from a local/regional furniture or lighting store — just 3%. That’s a discouraging number.
Reasons for optimism
That attachment to Amazon, established early in their lives, could be a tough one to break.
Yet there are reasons to be hopeful that this generation can find its way to local and regional retailers. First, they plan to purchase homes in the next one to five years — and that frequently spurs purchases of the types of lighting fixtures that are the specialty of lighting showrooms.
And remember that stat from earlier? Two-thirds say they prefer to shop in-store.
I’m also intrigued by the respondent who said they were distrustful of “AI and scammy sites.” There are signs that will only proliferate in the coming years, creating distrust among online shoppers.
Retailers who show they are honest, trustworthy sources of information and products could gain a real upper hand.
Another key for lighting showrooms is going to be raising their own profiles in the minds of Gen Z consumers in the next few years, as these shoppers will need more lighting as they buy homes and should feel more comfortable trading up to higher quality products.
I’ll more closely examine those opportunities when more research findings are released in the coming weeks. In the meantime, here are some additional charts that illustrate some of the survey’s findings. To see the entire CIN Week 2 report, click here.
About the research
This fall’s CIN research surveyed 1,000 adult Generation Z consumers (ages 18-29) who have purchased or plan to purchase home furnishings in 2026. The survey was fielded in August.
Veteran consumer researcher Dana French conducts the CIN surveys, and compiles and analyzes the results. This fall, results are being released every Monday through Oct. 12.
The fall CIN research is sponsored by Bread Financial.
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