Shopping is about far more than buying things for Britain’s 7- to 14-year olds; the high street has become a social and sensory experience, closely tied to identity, family and food.
That is according to a new study by Beano Brain, “Gen Alpha: Born to Shop”, which reveals that this cohort has access to £94m in immediately disposable cash, with 91% regularly receiving money to spend. More than two-thirds (69%) of children surveyed think shopping is fun, and 68% prefer to shop in “real” shops over online.
Some 90% of Gen Alpha consumers also say they enjoy shopping with someone else, which is perhaps no great surprise given their age. However, 87% want to touch or feel products before they buy them. Meanwhile, 41% say getting food or treats makes shopping with family more fun, and a quarter (25%) say eating together makes the trip feel more special.
In fact, spending on physical goods and shared experiences outperforms digital products and services. Some 57% of Gen Alpha consumers report spending on sweets and snacks over the past 12 months, 41% on toys and collectibles, and 34% on food and drink. By comparison, 27% report spending on gaming currencies, 21% on online games and apps, and 19% on in-game purchases such as character skins.
Survey respondents say they will spend more than 20 minutes in a shop if there are fun things to try, a signal that experience, not just stock, keeps kids in store.
The research also points to a gap in how the high street currently serves Gen Alpha: 85% of girls say they find the shopping experience exciting, compared with 53% of boys. With physical retail clearly capable of capturing this generation’s attention and spend, the findings suggest an opportunity for brands and retailers to close that gap and engage boys as effectively as girls.
Beano Brain head Helenor Gilmour said: “Gen Alpha has grown up with endless content and instant access, but what stands out in this research is how much they value experiences that feel real. For a generation raised on scrolling, the shop floor has become one of the places where meaningful connection still happens face to face. With family, with friends, and with the products themselves.
“The brands getting this right are building experiential spaces kids want to return to for how they feel as much as what’s on the shelf. That’s a real opportunity for the high street.
“The gap between how girls and boys experience shopping is one of the most striking findings here, and it’s one retailers should be paying close attention to. There’s clear headroom for brands that work out how to make the experience as exciting for boys as it currently is for girls.”
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