They can’t drive, but they’re driving sales: Meet Gen Alpha!

Gen Alpha, born between the early 2010s and the 2020s, is already calling the shots in Indian households—at least when it comes to shopping. With 55 per cent of parents buying products on their kids’ request, often inspired by online trends, their influence is impossible to ignore, according to Kantar Kidscan Report India 2024.

Not only are they experts in ‘pester power’, but they also make up 25 per cent of India’s population, making them the largest consumer segment.

This generation actively uses technology and prefers to keep up with any new developments in this field, whether they are travelling, learning, shopping or managing tasks. In fact, children between the age group of 5 and 14 are already spending 60 per cent more time watching internet videos, especially short form videos on sites like Instagram than they used to just two years ago.

Their tastes, opinions and expectations are shaped early on by social media, giving them a strong global mindset and having grown up in a more diverse and inclusive world, they also expect brands to reflect these values in their offerings.

Another survey by Hosting Advice further highlights their growing influence. The survey showed that 70.4 per cent of these young consumers ask their parents for products they’ve seen online at least once a week. Furthermore, according to 28 per cent of parents, these requests happen every day. Around 27 per cent of parents reported that their kids are drawn to premium, fashion-forward items.

According to 16.74 per cent parents of boys and 49.17 per cent parents of girls, social media has influenced their children’s desire for high-end fashion. Whereas, according to about 21 per cent of parents polled, their children favour environmentally friendly products.

GEN ALPHA’S WISHLIST

Brands that emphasise eco-friendly materials such as organic cotton, bamboo and recycled fabrics and have transparent supply chain information are preferred by this generation. This generation, who grew up engaging with avatars and digital characters they can customise and utilising social media filters, will find the capacity to make individual fashion products appealing. This gives the fashion sector a huge chance to develop new goods and services that promote innovation and personalisation. The popularity of Jibbitz, which are little charms that can be pinned to Crocs shoes and enable young customers to personalise their sandals and switch up their look on a regular basis, is a prime illustration of this; these days, they make up almost 10 per cent of the brand’s sales.

DIY customisation is becoming quite popular amongst Gen Z and Gen Alpha, thanks to social media and specialised forums. Tie-dyeing, bleach dyeing and patchwork are common do-it-yourself techniques used by this environmentally aware generation to personalise their frequently salvaged and thrifted apparel. To meet this demand for individuality, mainstream and luxury businesses like Golden Goose, Gucci, Adidas and Nike have created customisation programmes.

For instance, Gucci’s DIY Programme enables clients to customise sneakers with a DIY range of fabrics, colours, charms and even hand-painted initials, while Nike by You lets customers create their own sneakers through personalised patches and embroidery services.

Fashion has become more accessible because of platforms like YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, which enable young business owners to swiftly and affordably present their concepts to a worldwide audience. Gen Alpha’s drive for inclusivity can be seen through the increasing demand for gender-neutral apparel and a wide range of sizes. Given that Gen Alpha spends a lot of time online, digital fashion is equally important in this context. These users are eager to spend money on virtual fashion products to customise their online personas, especially in the contexts of social media and gaming and they place an equal emphasis on digital self-expression as they do on real fashion. The digital fashion market is expected to increase rapidly, reaching up to US $ 2.5 billion by 2026, from an anticipated US $ 500 million in 2023.