There are some young adults couldn’t describe what the inside of a modern electronic retail store looks like if they tried, but they do own a smartphone that can deliver products to their door by tomorrow morning.
Practically speaking, there’s no need to physically go to a store anymore. Shopping in a tangible environment can easily lead to impulse purchasing, not to mention the time and fuel wasted traveling there. Controlling, and optimally eliminating, all of those associated expenses is what grants this group a few spoils every now and then.
There’s a whole generation of consumers who just want to enjoy the simple and precious things in life, and they’re slowly coming into power. If you’re an affiliate marketer, it’s time to listen.
Putting an X on Gen Y
The Great Recession of the late 2000’s has left millions of talented individuals with a college degree, yet no position in the workforce capable of providing the means to acquire benchmark objects associated with adulthood. No cars, growing interest from school loans, and many have even resorted to moving back home to make ends meet. Rather than sulking, many have adapted.
This generation has learned to wholly embrace their alternative financial standards as a catalyst for finding innovative means to overcome issues that plagued past generations. The idea of paying for a home phone line is almost as archaic as renting a DVD from a store, and in more recent years paying for any cable television at all. Even with these differences in purchasing patterns, Millenials still expect an exceptionally high level of quality in their purchases and value retail relationships based on transparency and convenience. How do you cater to a crowd who wants very little, but wants it to be the best, and won’t lift a finger off their electronic devices to do so?
You’ve Got the Touch
If continuing trends from major credit card issuers are any indication, it is only a matter of time before cashless transactions become the preferred method of payment accepted everywhere. Online shopping is common practice among Millenials, but when they venture out into society for the occasional purchase touchlesss transactions are the way to get in touch with many of them.
The once standard-issue membership tags that weighed down the keychains of loyal shoppers are being replaced with a simple light tap or swipe of a smartphone on an electronic reader at the point-of-sale. Doing a little light research beforehand and verifying if the companies you are promoting enable that level of technological functionality will allow you to better reach this coveted consumer demographic.
Remorseless Remora
There are young adults today within arm’s reach of technology that surpasses the functionality of the devices that put a man on the moon. Rather than taking on a dystopian attitude and ignoring their generally smaller checkout totals, you can gain an invaluable asset in each of them by building a relationship that can stretch over the course of years and mutually benefit everyone involved. Everyone can be happy and that’s all that matters, no matter what generation.