Gen Z is thrifting everything from home decor to apparel: survey

Sponsored by

Partnerships, now with receipts. Retailers need trust and data. impact.com helps brands discover, manage, and scale partnerships in one platform, then measures what moves shoppers to buy. With brands that combine influencer and affiliate programs seeing 46% higher sales, the “growth engine” of 2026 is already here. The new State of Affiliate Marketing report reveals how top retailers are driving measurable, long-term growth. Download the report.

Gen Z might have a reputation for being carefree spenders, but new research suggests they’re actually more financially savvy than they often get credit for.

In a consumer survey conducted by Affirm, Gen Z was found to be approaching money with intentionality and discipline, with a big focus on value in an uncertain economy.

For instance, nearly 24% of Gen Zers chose to thrift or DIY their home decor. Others (40%) opted to blend new with secondhand. Even with apparel, 23% shopped secondhand, while 35% mixed thrifted with new clothing.

Meanwhile, about one-third identify as planners who make budgets and track spending, while a quarter call themselves “value seekers.”

Overall, the younger generation is getting smart with their spending, even those who favor buy now, pay later options. Affirm found that “nearly all Gen Z borrowers pay Affirm back in full across all loans.”

The finding that Gen Zers tend to be big savers shouldn’t come as a big surprise. A recent PwC study that took stock of about 1 million consumer transactions found that Gen Z slashed their spending by 13% between January and April this year, with apparel, accessories, and electronics being some of the top categories they were pulling back spending on.

Meanwhile, findings from NielsenIQ showed that Gen Z’s spending power was projected to rise to $12 trillion by 2030, impacting a range of manufacturers and retailers in the future.