How New Research on Buying Habits Could Help the Church Reach Gen-Z

I was researching Gen-Z buying habits recently, and it occurred to me that the way Gen-Z is sold on products could offer insight into how Gen-Z might be sold on the church. Two recent studies stuck out to me as potentially helpful for the church as we try to adapt to the needs and ways of thinking of this young generation.

The first striking statistic I found about Gen-Z buying habits was that 46% of these individuals research products on their phones before buying in-store (Precision Dialogue).  This is up to 27% more research than any other generation (Precision Dialogue). In other words, after hearing about a product, from wherever they have heard about it from, not only will they do research on it, but they will specifically research the product on their phones. This immediately called a few questions to mind for me. Say a Gen-Z-er heard about a new church from a friend. Would they treat that church like they do any product? If so, they would go on their phone and start researching that church. Are the majority of churches prepared for that? Do the majority of churches have a strong mobile presence? Are they active on Instagram or YouTube? Do their websites have intuitive, mobile-friendly layouts? If the lack of these things could turn Gen-Z away from products, it may be reasonable to assume it would turn them away from a church, a youth group, or something similar. 

The next statistic on Gen-Z shopping habits that was striking to me was that 62% of Gen-Z-ers prefer to be advertised to by somebody who looks like a real person rather than a known celebrity (BazaarVoice). When I read that, I immediately thought about Gen-Z’s desire for authenticity that is so often spoken of.  This desire for “real people” speaking truth could inform how we advertise our missions, churches, and even our foundational ideas about Christianity to this young generation. In the past, putting a celebrity in front of a camera and giving them a script about Jesus may have worked. Now, there seems to be a shift in trust in favor of the untrained, unassuming voices of everyday people. 

Selling, at its base, is about relationship. In studies like these, Gen-Z is telling us from their own perspective how they like to be related to. I think the Church can learn a lot about how to reach this young population by keeping an eye on statistics like these.