Youth Consumer Insights

Trend - Companies are looking to customize the travel experience for consumers with various packages. In the family-friendly category, brands are recognizing skip-generation travel as being in-demand and as a result, many products and services are created to fill this space and appeal to grandparents and their grandchildren.

Insight - Boomers in retirement have free time and are eager to use it to strengthen their relationship with their grandchildren. As the Gen Z demographic tends to prioritize experience as much as personal possessions, space opens up here for brands to facilitate active environments that engage the interests of both grandparents and grandchildren.

Trend - With tech and STEM-learning functions now being a large part of the emerging children's toy space, brands are incorporating elements of augmented reality into once-standard children's toys and retail experiences. Whether manifesting in board games or playmats, these elevated products add a unique level of interactivity to children's playtime experiences.

Insight - Because of the modern digital age, it's common for children to grow up with tech-based gaming in the same way that those of past generations grew up with outdoor play. This shift has opened up unique opportunities for parents of young children to explore playtime as a means of learning and setting their children up for the rapid digital changes that are still to come. The added experiential aspect of interactive, tech-based play is not just more informative for kids, but also establishes new creative outlets that expand their imaginations.

Trend - As the concept of the smart home is expanding and voice-control becomes a common feature of products, kid-friendly features enter the user interface of AI home assistants. These features engage, entertain and monitor children--alleviating some parental stress.

Insight - Being part of a digital-savvy generation, Millenials invite technology to play a formative part in their child's life. The integration of these features into the home allows for the parental aids to be omnipresent and close by when needed, adding a layer of convenience and security. In turn, this soothes the stress some might experience when they attempt to juggle life's tasks -- from going to work and doing chores to cooking meals for their kids and keeping up with the news.

Trend - Educational resources for kids are evolving with the use of modern media outlets and platforms to better balance education with entertainment. Creating videos, shows and even pop-up experiences that blend elements of learning with storytelling and technology, brands are not only looking for ways to make learning more fun, but they're changing the way education is consumed.

Insight - As Millennial parents bring their more progressive perspectives into parenting, they're focusing on the dynamic ways in which they can raise their children. All-encompassing approaches to teaching kids come with the benefit of fostering creativity and imagination alongside education–and Millennial parents believe this is a better approach to learning than what they were raised on.

Trend - In an effort to prevent children from developing poor eating habits, products that leverage age-appropriate mealtime interactivity and play are coming to market. This speaks to the desire that parents have to use tools to instill healthy eating habits in their kids proactively, rather than in a corrective way.

Insight - The desire for parents to instill healthy habits in their children is strong, and Millennial parents in-particular are leveraging tech aids and playful motivators in order to do this. With more progressive views than their predecessors, modern parents are more likely to adopt parenting methods that prioritize positive reinforcement and external aids.

Trend - Apps that aim to organize and reward the completion of chores are on the rise, and can be used by parents and their children, or roommates who share household responsibilities. These apps provide incentives for everyday tasks and work to keep households organized in a way that's convenient and collaborative.

Insight - Today's consumer has a long list of professional and personal responsibilities to take care of day-to-day. Between work, social engagements, children, health goals and "side hustles," the modern consumer is increasingly strapped for time. Because of this, they're turning to products and services that aim to ease their daily interactions and responsibilities by focusing on prioritization and streamlining.

Implications - Aiming to support skill-building and independent learning, toy brands are turning to DIY elements to make playtime more interactive and educational. Transforming traditional activities or games into experiences you have to put effort into, brands are utilizing do-it-yourself elements to not only make games more challenging, but to also teach kids about empowerment and work ethic at the same time.

Implications - For parents who lived through the 2008 financial crisis, teaching their children fiscal responsibility is often a top priority. A heightened interest in connected piggy banks taps into the inclination that many Gen Z consumers have towards saving, while leveraging the smart capabilities that digital natives are familiar with.

Trend - Teen and youth payment platforms are on the rise as businesses recognize the buying power of Gen Z consumers. For the generation itself, these platforms appeal by catering to their preference for empowerment and independence in the purchase decisions they make, along with the convenience that comes with streamlined programs.

Insight - With today's youth's proficiency in the digital space, brands that are looking to appeal to them are best-served in targeted apps. Gen Z's appreciation for streamlined day-to-day responsibilities comes from the fact that for the majority of their routines–whether educational, professional, or social–is spent online, or at the very least facilitated by the digital sphere. This shift can be seen in everything from personal organization to personal finances.

Implications - Targeting families on the go, travel and accessory brands are focusing more on kids and toddlers to ensure a safe and enjoyable overall experience. Re-designing everything from suitcases and accessories, brands are focusing on both function and play as features that will appeal to both kids and their parents. Such adaptions to traditional travel products speaks to not only the rise of more functional goods, but the need to be more inclusive of various age ranges no matter what the product might be.