Being an older millennial has meant that for all 15 years of my adult life, I’ve had the pleasure of reading daily articles about my habits – pieces on my shopping trends (online only!), what I like to buy (local and sustainable products only!), what brands I’m loyal to (they must give back!), and how I like to spend my money (frivolously!).
For whatever it’s worth, I don’t feel like a majority of the pieces I read – which I’m sure were well-researched – describe me at all. Here’s why:
- Online shopping: Online shopping is an absolute gift from above, but not because I hate brick-and-mortar stores. It’s because I, like so many other people, am annoyed that when I go to a brick-and-mortar store looking for something specific, I’m told there’s a limited inventory in-store and that I can order it online. So it really comes as no surprise that 96% of Americans shop with online stores at least once a year now that it seems stores and their online counterparts are reporting better visibility and increased sales. A few years ago, for example, Ann Taylor seemed to only sell petite-length jeans online. Since I couldn’t try them on before I ordered them, I was forced to order three sizes (you never know in woman’s clothing) and ended up sending all three back because I didn’t like how any of them fit. Such a waste of time. I like online shopping because brick-and-mortar has forced me there and I know I can get exactly what I want because the inventory is sitting in a warehouse somewhere. There are also so many online stores so you can buy pretty much anything online. For example, ecommerce stores like Jetspree
make it easy to buy products in duty-free. Online shopping is amazing! - Local, sustainable products: This is an easy one to debunk. I appreciate supporting small business and there’s nothing better than some yummy, local produce, but for a generation plagued with student loans (mine will be paid off when I’m 42), trust me, millennials are cool with shopping at a cheap grocery store like Aldi for produce and pantry staples.
- Brand loyalty: While I’m big on corporate social responsibility, a positive, in-store experience is more important to me than the brand trying to save the world. REI is a great example. The brand does some amazing things (truly), but the reason I continue to go back is because it’s probably the most unpretentious extreme sporting goods store out there. Employees are extremely nice and helpful. I’m not afraid to ask questions and I always leave smiling. How many brands can say that?
- Frivolous spending: See above student loan payoff date (2028). Yeah, many of us aren’t haphazardly throwing our money around. Don’t get me wrong, I rarely say no to happy hour or going out to dinner, but that’s because the valuable time spent catching up with friends absolutely outweighs the cost. (I also really like eating.)
