For younger consumers, convenience increasingly means avoiding people altogether. A new Consumer Pulse survey from GoDaddy reveals that Gen Z and Millennials are quietly rewriting the rules of commerce, and human interaction is becoming a casualty.
In a poll of 1,500 U.S. consumers, half of Gen Z (54%) and Millennials (50%) said they prefer shopping methods that minimise or eliminate contact with others. Whether it’s Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store (BOPIS), curbside pickup, self-checkout, or fully online shopping, the goal is the same: skip the small talk and get on with it. Just 29% of Gen X and Boomers felt the same way.
Talk to a person? Hard pass
Fifteen percent of Gen Z shoppers said they’d rather deal with a chatbot than a human customer service rep, a fivefold jump over Gen X and Boomers. That might not sound like a majority, but it shows that younger shoppers expect tech to handle things humans used to. The real concern for businesses is that this preference might not be a gimmick; it’s becoming a baseline expectation.
More than half of Gen Z (54%) and Millennials (50%) admit to shopping online during the workday. For comparison, only 18% of Gen X and Boomers do the same. These consumers don’t wait for evenings or weekends to buy, they expect seamless experiences whenever the urge strikes.
Younger consumers are also less tolerant of outdated payment options. Over half of Gen Z (54%) have abandoned a purchase because a business didn’t accept digital wallets like Apple Pay or Google Pay. One in ten Gen Z shoppers only use their phones to pay in person, and 5% have ditched physical wallets entirely. If your business isn’t equipped for mobile-first transactions, you’re likely leaving money behind.
The rules are flexible
Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) usage is skyrocketing among these demographics. Around 40% of Gen Z and Millennials admit they’ve used BNPL for purchases they couldn’t afford, nearly double the rate of older generations. Around 30% of Gen Z and Millennials say they’ve lied to return an item.
Interestingly, across all age groups, over half of consumers (51%) report anxiety at the checkout counter, largely due to confusing or inconsistent point-of-sale (POS) systems. It’s even worse among younger shoppers: 66% of Gen Z and 58% of Millennials have felt stress at the checkout. Designing intuitive, mobile-friendly, and idiot-proof interfaces may be more important than ever.
What’s left of the “in-person” experience?
Despite the rise of digital wallets, most people (59%) still carry physical credit cards. While 39% of consumers say they’ll avoid a store with poor parking, the majority (61%) say it’s not a dealbreaker.
Yet, digital is dominant among younger consumers. A full 70% of Gen Z prefer to make purchases of $150 or more via smartphone, a clear signal that mobile is the new retail headquarters.
These consumer preferences redefine what convenience means in today’s world. Gen Z and Millennials aren’t shopping less, they’re just shopping differently: quietly, quickly, and on their own terms. Businesses that cling to human touchpoints as added value may find they’re actually adding friction.