Next generation loves bricks, mortar

You’re probably reading this instead of doing some Black Friday shopping.

I happen to know that’s likely because of a study done by the Carson College of Business down at Washington State.

It turns out that 85 percent of Idahoans responded to questions about their shopping preferences by saying that Black Friday USED to be an event.

But now?

Meh ...

So when exactly did that happen?

And where has everyone gone?

No more endless lines at our box stores, with people rushing madly to get a deal on that giant TV?

I’m not a serious shopper, so maybe I wasn’t paying close enough attention. The craziness of Black Friday seems to have died away in favor of ...

Cyber Monday.

Oh, some of you are still grabbing a few items today, but the numbers don’t lie.

Cyber Monday is clearly the big deal now, with 72 percent in Idaho saying they are likely to shop on Monday, while only 54 percent report they will buy things today on Black Friday.

“We’ve seen an intriguing shift in consumer behavior, with the pervasive use of technology in the retail industry,” said Joan Giese, WSU clinical associate professor.

“Instead of getting to stores on Thanksgiving and waiting in line for hours to get the best Black Friday bargains, shoppers can spend time with family while also snapping up savings online.”

I’m not sure whether retailers like this shift, but I’m fine with it.

There’s time to sit back and enjoy reading A Brand New Day instead of fighting those crowds — not to mention that my column runs on Friday but not on Monday.

Shop ‘til you drop on Monday, gang.

Again, those pesky statistics suggest that you will. Nearly half (45 percent) of working Idaho residents say they plan to shop on the job on Cyber Monday.

OF COURSE, those numbers again tell us that more and more shoppers are making their purchases online.

I mean, if you’re shopping on the job ...

Amazon is the No. 1 holiday retailer in Coeur d’Alene, across all of Idaho and in the entire Northwest.

Presumably, that’s how we wound up with Cyber Monday in the first place.

The Baby Boomer generation got weary of battling the mobs for a bargain on Black Friday — and there’s no going back among older generations.

A whopping 43 percent of respondents said they’ll do more online shopping than they did last year.

So, are brick-and-mortar stores going the way of the dinosaur?

Not necessarily, and for a reason you might never guess.

Meet the trend-breakers from Gen Z.

Yep, Generation Z — young folks from roughly their mid-teens to mid-20s right now — seem to be comfortable heading back in time.

Old-school retail is flourishing in Idaho, according to the survey, and these energetic sprites are the reason.

A healthy 61 percent of Idahoans prefer in-store shopping, as opposed to 53 percent in the entire Northwest.

Stand-alone retail shops (70 percent) and shopping malls (60 percent) will be the most popular destination for Idaho shoppers this year,

GUESS WHAT?

Those numbers are driven by Gen Z, and the stats prove it.

An amazing 81 percent of these young buyers prefer spending their money in stores, so they can enjoy the luxury of trying on items they might want to purchase.

Even better, 68 percent of Gen Z respondents said in-store shopping is fun.

Let me interrupt with a question here: Where are these Gen Z shoppers getting their money?

From age 15 to 25, say, I had about enough cash on hand to get a few Christmas cards, and maybe some chocolates for Mom.

I certainly wasn’t trying on high-end fashion.

Yeah, OK, I sound like one of those old coots who start every conversation by saying, “Back in the day ...”

But still ...

A Gen Z shopping spree?

Can’t quite get my head around it, but I guess the good news is that unless these kids are maxing out their credit cards, they’re going to be serious shoppers for the future.

At least until the Gen Z herd hits 30 or so, and discovers the burden of college loans.

Retailers, and particularly store owners, have to like the trend — especially with older generations heading to online purchases in droves.

There’s a reason all our big box stores now offer website shopping.

And frankly, that’s me.

Hate to generalize, but ...

Guys want to make it easy, right?

- • •

Steve Cameron is a columnist for The Press.

A Brand New Day appears from Wednesday through Saturday each week.

Steve’s column on Gonzaga basketball runs on Tuesday.

Email: scameron@cdapress.com

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Twitter: @BrandNewDayCDA