Today's most active consumer groups belong to two generations: Millennials (born 1981–1996) and Gen X (1965–1980). They buy the most, spend the most, and have the greatest impact on the economy and business.

Gen Z is 30.2% smaller than Gen X

According to data from the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic, Slovakia had approximately 1.258 million Gen X members, 1.230 million Millennials, and 879,000 Gen Z members (born between 1997 and 2012) at the end of 2024.

Businesses will be competing for a smaller customer base. Repeating what worked for previous generations will not be enough. Gen Z has different needs, expectations, and purchasing behaviours. Gen Z consumers also differ significantly in their attitudes, preferences, and lifestyles. They cannot be treated as one homogeneous group. Still, our analysis of global trends and local research identified four attributes this generation values.

1. Flexibility: Convenience means saving mental energy

For Millennials, convenience is primarily about saving time. For Gen Z, it is about saving mental energy. This generation feels mentally overloaded and wants to preserve its capacity for what matters. The goal is not simply to get more done in less time. They want immediate relief when they are hungry, short on time, or exhausted. Control and choice are essential.

This shapes the services they prefer. Amazon Locker, DHL Packstation, and InPost offer flexible parcel collection, while Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Deliveroo satisfy hunger and save time without requiring grocery shopping or cooking. Services must offer flexibility without long-term commitments or advance planning.

2. Measurable results: Turning personal data into actionable recommendations

For Millennials, the body is a temple. They focus on listening to their bodies through balanced nutrition, exercise discipline, and mental recovery. For Gen Z, the body is a dashboard. Something to measure and optimise. Success is tracked through trends, current scores, and progress over time. Rather than generic advice, they trust personalised solutions and recommendations based on their own data.

The same principle of tracking progress and using data to drive motivation applies to digital services. Examples include Oura's Readiness Score and Duolingo's streaks, which use small rewards to reinforce constructive goals.

Services must function as measurable systems that turn data into specific, actionable recommendations. Showing a number is not enough. Users need to know what to do with it.

Gen Z also understands the dopamine-driven mechanisms behind digital services. They recognise that the same small rewards that keep them endlessly scrolling social media can also work in their favour. They deliberately choose tools that redirect these mechanisms towards constructive goals, personal growth, and greater control over their lives.

3. Community and rituals: Paying for belonging

The way Gen Z connects with others is also changing. While Millennials have cafés and coworking spaces, Gen Z is creating its own "third places" – spaces outside home and work, both online and offline. These include Discord servers, hobby clubs, gaming lobbies, and fan meetups.

The underlying need is belonging, without pressure to perform or commit. Shared activities help address loneliness by creating a natural reason to meet, without the awkwardness of purely social interactions. Regular contact and a sense of belonging matter.

Shared interests and activities create natural opportunities to meet and gradually build relationships. Examples include running clubs, cycling groups, and reading parties.

For products and services, this means customers may be willing to pay for a sense of belonging, rather than simply access to a product or service. Services should therefore create a sense of belonging to a group or ritual, not just a connection to a product.

4. Selective spending: Loyalty must be earned

What Gen Z is willing to pay for is also changing. While Millennials may stay loyal to brands because they identify with their story and aesthetics, Gen Z buys products and services only after verifying that they deliver the value the brand promises. One statement came up repeatedly in our research: "I'm not stupid enough to pay for a logo."

This is not simply about price sensitivity. This generation wants quality at a fair price. They prefer to save on everyday purchases or openly choose cheaper alternatives to premium brands, while spending more on products that reflect their personality and aesthetics.

Vinted illustrates this behaviour by allowing customers to buy second-hand branded fashion at a fraction of the original price.

For brands, the implication is clear: storytelling and aesthetics alone are no longer enough. They must demonstrate real value for money.

How can businesses turn these shifts into products and services?

Identify Gen Z's most pressing problems through qualitative customer interviews and behavioural observation. Focus on High Value Jobs – the customer needs and tasks that matter most and where existing solutions fall short. Solving these significantly better than competitors creates a competitive advantage in attracting Gen Z customers.

The next step is to connect the four value attributes to the High Value Jobs in your specific category. The same attribute can translate into different solutions across industries. For example, flexibility in sporting goods could mean renting equipment for a season instead of buying it. Saving mental energy in banking could mean automatically categorising expenses or sending alerts for important payments. In insurance, it could mean reporting a claim simply by uploading a photo, with the system automatically completing the required information and guiding the customer through the process.

There will be fewer customers. The winners will be those who understand what truly matters to them and turn that understanding into products and services that solve real problems.