As consumers grow older, their shopping behaviours change. This is influenced by many factors, most notably financial resources, priorities, and levels of technological advancement. In order to meet the expectations of different customer groups, businesses often take into account the characteristics typical of specific generations when shaping their marketing and business strategies. Although members of each generation share many traits, they do not form homogeneous groups. Meeting the needs of consumers born on the borderline between two generations is particularly challenging. One such group is zillennials people situated between Generations Y and Z. How can retailers attract them to their stores?
Who are zillennials and what sets them apart from other generations?
Zillennials are a “microgeneration” of people born between 1993 and 1998. In simplified, conventional classifications, some of them are categorised as millennials, while others are assigned to Generation Z. However, research shows that this group combines traits of both generations while also differing from them in significant ways [1]. Zillennials themselves share this view as many as 72.8% consider themselves typical representatives of their own generation [2]. This is more than in the case of Generation Y (72.3%) and Generation Z (70.7%).
Members of this microgeneration grew up in a world shaped by new technologies, but they were not (and usually still are not) their earliest adopters. They navigate the online world with ease, using instant messaging platforms, mobile applications, and social media. When it comes to social media, they favour Instagram – unlike younger generations who prefer TikTok and older ones who still most commonly use Facebook.
Between the online and offline worlds: Zillennials as consumers
People born in the mid-1990s clearly demonstrate a “digital-first” but not “digital-only” approach. According to research, 37% of this generation make retail purchases mainly online, while 29% shop primarily in physical stores. The remainder use both channels to a similar extent [2]. Zillennials use various payment methods, but they clearly prefer cashless transactions, including BLIK and mobile payments. The lack of multiple payment options can effectively discourage zillennials from using a store’s offer something confirmed by 16% of respondents from this group [3].
This generation grew up at a time of increasing environmental and social awareness, which is why sustainability issues matter to them. Their purchasing behaviour often reflects pro-environmental attitudes – they willingly choose eco-friendly products and are prepared to pay more for them.
In terms of financial situation, zillennials are a highly diverse group. Some live frugally and prioritise price when choosing products; in their case, promotions are an effective way to attract customers. Other representatives of this microgeneration enjoy a stable financial situation and savings. Their financial status may sometimes result from still living with their parents and having limited expenses. This group represents an important audience for luxury products. Zillennials expect omnichannel retail
The defining characteristic of zillennials as consumers is their strong attachment to both online and brick-and-mortar stores. The first item on retailers’ to-do lists should therefore be an omnichannel strategy. Effective implementation, however, does not mean simply opening additional sales channels, but rather deploying a centrally managed sales platform that enables integration of the core system with external applications (such as e-commerce or m-commerce).
One such solution is iXpos by INEOGroup. Its architecture is based on an event-driven data-exchange model and the API-first principle. The former means that individual components communicate by detecting and responding to events (such as an order being placed). The latter involves designing the interface before developing other parts of the system. This approach facilitates integration with multiple external applications and supports the implementation of an omnichannel sales strategy. We discussed how organisations can roll out this process step by step in the article Omnichannel from a Practitioner’s Perspective.
How else can retailers meet the needs of zillennials?
Technology also proves to be the answer to other expectations of this mid-1990s generation. It determines whether retailers can attract customers with diverse payment methods, easy returns, or competitive pricing without risking revenue loss. For retail chains, the iXpos platform provides support in areas such as:
- Promotions – through the IXPOS Loyalty & Promotion Service, INEOGroup’s solution supports even the most complex promotional scenarios, including multi-level rules. It also enables the creation of personalised discounts based on a customer’s full purchase history. IXPOS Fiscal Service ensures consistency in fiscal transaction registration across the entire ecosystem.
- Payment methods – the system allows integration with payment service providers, including local payment solutions. This enables retailers operating internationally to meet customer expectations in different markets with ease.
- Returns handling – attachment to multiple sales channels applies not only to purchasing but also to returns. Thanks to seamless integration of iXpos with e-commerce and m-commerce platforms and access to customers’ complete purchase histories, retailers can easily process returns for products purchased at any point of sale or online store.
- Online communication – the iXpos-GO customer application provides access to transaction histories and promotions, and allows retailers to share information about current or upcoming offers.
Zillennials are a generation of considerable importance from a business perspective. Classifying them simply as either Generation Z or millennials distorts the true picture of the expectations of all three groups. Ultimately, this may even result in declining revenue for retail chains. That is why awareness of this microgeneration and addressing its needs within marketing strategies is so crucial.
Sources:
[1] Carganilla M., Pelila J., 2025, Zillenials microgeneration: hybrid traits, digital behaviour, and generational boundaries
[2] PYMNTS Intelligence, 2024, Generation Zillennial: How They Shop
[3] PYMNTS Intelligence, 2025, The Gen Z Decoder Ring
