Centennials: The Next Generation of Shoppers

Ann-Marie Vazzano

Move over, Millennials. The Centennials are here, and according to a recent report from ratings and reviews firm PowerReviews, they could be bringing in-store shopping back to the forefront. PowerReviews surveyed some 1,700 Centennials (ages 13 to 18) and Millennials (ages 19 to 34) about their shopping habits. While 94% of Centennials prefer to research and browse products online, 46% prefer to actually purchase products in the store (compared to just 37% of Millennials). Some other key findings:

• 95% of Centennials read reviews while shopping and nearly half won’t purchase a product if there weren’t enough reviews.
• Nearly two-thirds of Centennials read a minimum of four reviews before making a purchase.
• Reviews are more important to Centennials than a recognizable brand name or free delivery.
• Centennials trust online reviews more than a friend’s recommendations on social media.
• Almost half of Centennials don’t trust a product’s reviews if there are no negative reviews included. GP