Younger shoppers mull over purchases but plan on spending more in the future: survey

Who ever said that younger generations were impulsive spenders?

RTB House’s 2026 US consumer study “Before They Buy” reveals that 50% of Gen Z customers dwell on what’s in their cart for two or more days before committing to a purchase. Meanwhile, only 24% of boomers reported mulling over their purchasers for that long.

Overall, 40% of new shoppers visit e-commerce sites with a clear item in mind, while the other 60% are simply browsing or have a more flexible intent, suggesting most consumers simply do not know what they want to buy.

And although the younger cohort was giving its purchases a fair amount of thought, the survey, which recorded responses from 1,000 shoppers across the US, also found that both Gen Z and millennials are 50% more likely to spend more in the future versus older generations.

“Everything in today’s e-commerce environment is being driven by increased intensity of the research phase and true generational divides during the current macroeconomic environment,” Jaysen Gillespie, VP of product marketing and analytics at RTB House, said in a statement. “Marketers can no longer rely on broad assumptions about their potential customers. To win, brands must meet their customers across all devices and out-maneuver competitors during the critical research phase.”

The proclivity for research among Gen Zers also extends beyond their computers. Per a 2025 YouGov survey, 69% of Gen Z said they started their “decision-making” process when considering a purchase online, but 53% actually still went to a store to browse.

The findings come in light of rising costs and tightening consumer budgets. Recent reporting from USA Today found that shoppers were exhausted by inflation and tariff-driven price increases.