17th January 2023
Humans, we are nothing short of fascinating. But how much do we really know and understand about different age groups?
Generations…. ‘The silent generation, baby boomers, generation X, millennials, generation Z and generation Alpha are all unique in their own right as they are of their own unique time in history.
Understanding generations, what excites and engages them with retail is my latest obsession, and I’m currently in the midst of putting together a training session dedicated specifically to this subject. We all shop, but we all shop differently and it has a lot to do with which generation we belong to.
The silent generation is the one we tend to forget, and it’s a fatal mistake. Born before 1945 this group had nothing, worked hard and wanted their children to have a better life growing up than they did. Now however, they want to be recognised as a force to be reckoned with, after all 80 is the new 70, 70 is the new 60, 60 is the new 50. Getting to grips with this generation is a must do in salon.
Baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964 had a different experience growing ups, life was becoming more free and easy, this is something that has carried through as they have aged, and shopping, well it’s second nature to them, so long as it hits the right buttons.
Generation X, sometimes referred to as the middle child have the biggest spending power of all the generations, mainly thanks to mum, dad and grandparents being very generous in life and death. However shopping, especially their fave, online shopping takes on a different meaning for this generation and it’s one you have to embrace to capture sales from them.
Millennials (Gen Y) are interested in shopping in real time but are hugely influenced by social media, influencers and tech driven trends, think TikTok. In salons this means a different approach has to be taken to encourage them to browse the brands you carry.
Generation Z don’t purchase on impulse often, it’s all about research beforehand and of they know the product delivers in performance and in caring for the planet, they will invest in it. But, they also google everything and are happy to wait for new releases if they know something new is on the horizon.
Generation Alpha: The upcoming ‘new kids on the block’. This generation has a very limited attention span so it will be crucial that any information needs to be succinct and powerful with lots of strong visuals to entice them. We don’t need to worry too much just yet, but we must get ready for the time they are ready to start shopping seriously.
Getting to grips with generations is a challenge, but it is achievable and is most definitely the way forward for retailing.
Watch this space for more details of the training plan.
You can find more information about generations (both from a client and staff perspective) in Don’t Sell Volume. 2: Being Amazonian, hairdressers and retail, the new norm. Click here: Don’t Sell Volume 2
