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Joanie Spencer, editor-in-chief of Commercial Baking

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Taking a ‘fresh’ look at Gen Z shoppers

Teenage girl with red hair, white shirt and black pants holding light purple cake that says Gen Z
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NEW ORLEANS — Every generation has shopping behaviors that set it apart from others, but there are also a few habits that brands can rely on to reach consumers of all ages. That’s not necessarily true with Gen Z (ages 12-27), a group that’s flipping the script on  shopping for perishables, including baked goods.

In their presentation, “Capturing the Gen Z Fresh Spend,” during IDDBA 2025, held June 1-3 in New Orleans, Colleen McGinnis and Monica Burton, the directors of SMB sales and client development, respectively, for NielsenIQ (NIQ), provided insight into how brands can capitalize on this specific generation’s unique fresh food shopping trends.

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“Gen Zers are acting differently than consumers of this age at different generations,” McGinnis said. “Technology is truly ingrained in everything they do. Social commerce is becoming extremely important, and it’s challenging traditional retailers.”

McGinnis noted that TikTok Shop is the No. 23 retailer in terms of sales, and the No. 2 category on the platform is food. NIQ data revealed that Gen Z is 95% more likely than other generations to purchase something they’ve seen from their friends on social media.

“That’s where Gen Z is right now, that’s where they’re looking, that’s where they’re shopping,” she said. “Social commerce is only going evolve and command more of their attention as we go forward.”

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Catching next-gen dollars

Gen Z is truly an omni shopper: They are 48% more likely to shop both in store and online, according to NIQ data, which also revealed that 41% of the Gen Z shoppers make quick in-and-out store trips … more than nine each week.

These frequent trips to the store create opportunities for brands. Yet, they must navigate demand for fresh vs. demand convenience, which is a key trend among Gen Z. These younger consumers tend to shop for frozen or ready-to-eat meals, which may keep them from browsing the fresh areas regularly.

In-store demos, announcing discounts and promotions via text messaging, interactive displays and immersive experiences are just a few ways to draw Gen Z to fresh areas, especially if technology’s involved.

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“We surveyed consumers to see how they shop in the store, and we learned they are using their phones across all of their fresh needs,” Burton said. “About 35% of them are using the retailer’s app. They’re also checking for barcodes, comparing prices and looking at nutritional information.”

Most of today’s store growth is from millennials, but that is expected to shift in the next five to 10 years. Gen Z makes up nearly 25% of the population and are set to lead consumer spending by 2030.

“They’re going to overtake that of Gen X, they’re going to overtake that of the boomers,” Burton said. “This makes Gen Z important as we look at how to shape the [fresh] department’s growth.”

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