About half of consumer spend in the US and UK is now driven by Gen Alpha

Move over, Gen Z: Gen Alpha is already reshaping household spending in the US and UK.

According to Teneo’s Gen Alpha Consumer Influence Study, which surveyed 1,000 children born between 2010 and 2014, nearly half (48%) of parental spending across the US and UK is now influenced by Gen Alpha. That’s more than $255 billion in spending across food, fashion, and leisure in the US alone.

Which raises the real question: What’s actually influencing Gen Alpha? Despite being the first fully digitally native generation, it’s not influencers calling the shots. Instead, Gen Alpha values what Teneo calls “real-world credibility,” prioritizing the opinions of friends and family. Just 29% say they trust what they see in online ads.

When it comes to buying decisions, style (51%) and visual appeal (47%) topped the list—far outweighing concerns like sustainability, which just 16% cited as a factor.

“Brands expecting Gen Alpha to follow suit from Gen Z on prioritizing ethical choices and being influenced by the online world could be in for a surprise,” Gee Lefevre, Teneo’s global head of consumer and economics, said in a statement. “Our findings show a generation skeptical of media messages and steadfast in their opinions which co-pilot family decision-making to the tune of billions of dollars in discretionary spending.”

The findings track with what we already know about Gen Alpha—a generation that may not be able to open their own credit card accounts yet but hold considerable influence on household purchases.

An August 2025 report by DKC found that Gen Alpha had exceeded $100 billion in direct spending power annually.

And while the kids may not have full-time jobs yet, many are still making some money independently. Recent findings from Mintel, for instance, revealed that 26% of US Gen Alpha kids are paid in cash for an informal job (e.g., babysitting), with 9% reporting having a job that gives them a paycheck.