Dive Brief:

• Gen Z converts about twice as much on mobile than any other demographic, according to a study from ContentSquare. However, their willingness to purchase on mobile is matched by an intolerance toward poorly-functioning apps — 60% of Gen Z will not use an app or website that is too slow to load and 62% won’t use an app if it’s difficult to navigate, the study found.

• Despite an attention span that ContentSquare estimates lasts less than five seconds, Gen Z shoppers view 62% more pages during a browsing session than other demographics and bounce 51% less of the time, according to the report.

• The study also found that while Gen Z prefers personalized experiences, 61% cite secure storage and protection of personal data as an important factor, as well as clear terms and conditions (43%) and a clear explanation of what data will be collected and for what purpose (39%).

Dive Insight:

The generation of digital natives is garnering increasing attention as they become the key customer base of the future. With 80% of Gen Z shoppers influenced by social media while making purchase decisions, there’s no question that mobile will be a huge factor in marketing to the young generation.

Indeed, with a mobile conversion rate double that of any other demographic and many living without a desktop (more than 50% according to ContentSqaure), brands have the opportunity to reach a very eager consumer base via their mobile phones. That is if retailers are willing to put the time and effort into making a mobile app both worthwhile and engaging for Gen Z shoppers. Whether using the app to make purchases, look up product data or compare prices to other stores, the user experience is key.

“Digital experience is the language of Generation Z, with mobile and Web interfaces their natural habitats. This choosy, demanding new generation visits 62% more pages in a session than the rest of the population and converts twice as much online as the rest of us,” ContentSquare CEO Jonathan Cherki told Retail Dive in an email. “They want companies to woo them, to create a personal, immersive digital world for them to play — and shop — in, and that is what we must do.”

With more Gen Z shoppers purchasing luxury brands than millennials, an investment in mobile could lead to big payoff from a customer base that doesn’t mind paying more for quality. That being said, retailers will have to try harder with the younger generation to create loyal customers, as most Gen Zers are more than willing to switch brands if they find higher quality elsewhere. The study suggests that brands connect with consumers through an “engaging, addictive experience with free-flowing, comfortable, or even fun mobile navigation.” How to do that effectively is a different question.

Some retailers are already seeing the benefits of a good mobile marketing strategy, with Sephora using mobile apps to advertise limited-edition content, allow customers to try on makeup through augmented reality and even give customers a platform to schedule in-store appointments through.

Not all mobile strategies are directly targeted toward the younger generation, though. Over 20% of the users of Walgreens’ mobile app are 55 and older, and department stores are getting in on the action as well. J.C. Penney, for example, recently adopted Apple Pay in-store, demonstrating the growing popularity of mobile for a wide variety of retailers and demographics.