The holiday season (which has already started) is hugely popular with young Europeans, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which we know they’re big fans of. Because the holiday season is unlike any other time of year, young consumers shop in ways specific to the occasion. They’re fueling “retailment” to enjoy the festive shows that some stores put up for the occasion while at the same time doubling-down on online shopping for the convenience and the huge deals they can find there. For brands, this means that knowing exactly where young Europeans plan to shop in the months leading up to Christmas is crucial.
In our Holiday Shopping and Plans report, YPulse asks young consumers which type of stores or websites they plan to use for holiday shopping. From online retailers to supermarkets to department stores, we gave young people a choice of 11 places and compiled the top five where 13-24-year-olds plan to shop this holiday season in the U.K., France, Germany, Spain, and Italy. Their answers reveal that while online retail is their clear top pick, there are some key differences among the five countries, too:
Online retail is the go-to shopping place for European Gen Z this holiday season
Online retail stores are the top place where European 13-24-year-olds plan to shop for the holiday season, with the only exception of Spain, where fast-fashion is their top choice. There’s a wide range of online retailers in Western Europe, from Amazon to eBay to Zalando, and the convenience that these stores offer compared with physical stores is clearly winning over European Gen Z for the season. In normal times, data from YPulse’s WE Shopping and Retail report shows that 36% of European 13-24-year-olds say they usually shop at online retail stores, but for the holiday season, 48% say so, a +12pts increase. Brands should consider intensifying their presence on ecommerce sites in the months leading to Christmas, as it’s a key place where this gen shops.
Italian Gen Z are the most likely consumers in Western Europe to intend to shop online for the holiday season, with 55% of 13-24-year-olds there saying they plan to do so this year, +9pts more than the average among their European peers (46%). Amazon is by far the top ecommerce site in Italy, followed by the homegrown resale platform Subito, so brands wanting to reach young Italian consumers should consider ramping up or even creating a brand store there. French Gen Z, on the other side, are the least likely among European countries to be shopping online for the holiday season (39%), but it still remains their number one choice.
Department stores are a top choice for Spanish and British Gen Z
In Spain and the U.K., 29% of 13-24-year-olds say they plan to shop at department stores for the holiday season, which is +13pts more than the average in Germany, France, and Italy (16%). In Spain, the most iconic department store is El Corte Ingles and it’s a brand we know young Spaniards have real affinity with: YPulse’s recent Express Yourself report shows that El Corte Ingles ranks 16th as the brand that young Spaniards think best expresses who they are.
Department stores offer a variety of products such as clothing, cosmetics, home goods, and electronics in one location. This arrangement allows customers to access multiple types of goods without visiting separate specialty shops. Plus, these shopping destinations are typically implementing entertainment in-store for the season by creating impressive displays for the months leading to Christmas. This investment in “retailment” tends to boost footfall and reinforce brand identity, and it’s clearly working for Gen Z in the U.K. and Spain who are drawn to shop there for the holiday season.
Mass merch stores are a top place for Christmas shopping for French Gen Z
In France, 37% of Gen Z plan to shop at mass merch stores for the holiday season but the average in the other Western European countries is 24%, a +13pts difference. Mass merch stores are often simply described as supermarkets in Western Europe, and France is home to some of the biggest supermarkets in the region like Auchan, E.Leclerc, Carrefour, Casino, and Intermarchés. These stores tend to offer a wide range of products, with a mix of brands, store brands, and premium products all in one place. They also have a strong presence in the French market, more so than discount stores like Lidl and Aldi that are hugely popular in Germany, so French Gen Z can easily reach these places, proving very useful in the weeks leading to Christmas.
