Presentation from NRF 2023: Retail's Big Show Leslie J Ghize, DONEGER | TOBE Kristin Patrick, Claire's What can retailers expect as Gen Z passes the baton to Gen A? New generations prove more difficult to define than older ones. Inconsistencies, anomalies, and contradictions abound in a worldview that must reconcile physical and digital, local and global, commercial and social. Boxing and bowing an understanding of the incoming consumer requires flexibility and creativity. Learn how to navigate this emerging young cohort from experts who are already leading the charge. 

1. Young-Gen:
Paradoxes
and parallels LESLIE J GHIZE
Executive Vice President
DONEGER | TOBE
KRISTIN PATRICK
EVP and Chief Marketing
Officer
Claire's
RICK BROOKS
CEO
Zumiez Inc.

2. JANUARY 2023
THE
PARADOXES
OF GEN Z
and the potential of Gen A

3. We’ll do the note taking for you.
donegertobe.com/notes

4. Gen Z Is A
Contradictory
Cohort
Already exhaustively classified and
characterized, they’re still young and
changing in response to social, cultural,
and political dynamics.
Signs of coexisting traits and behaviors
suggest how to cater to them.
PR
AYI
N
G

5. TAYLO
R
BI
G
G
S
Gen A is Coming
On Quickly
Shaping up as a sophisticated and
sensible successor to their big-sibling
generation, Gen A exhibits a tempered
approach to the Gen Z dualities.
Cues and clues are emerging to help prepare
for A’s growth and development.

6. — 5
TREND ADDICTED ANTI-CAPITALISTS
PRICE-CONSCIOUS STATUS SEEKERS
EXPERIMENTAL OLD SOULS
COSPLAYING NATURALISTS
It’s Like This
Gen Z Toggles.
R
I
CE
J
W
PEI
PSYCHE
DE
LI
C
WATE
R
F
REC
K
BEAUTY

7. — 6
Z’s are
Highly-
Influenced
Individualists
How do you reconcile a product cycle for
individuality and trend flare ups?
A’s will be less devoted to individualism as statement and
more “this is what’s best for me.”
ROGUE NYC
BLOKE CORE
In an AdWeek-sponsored study on Gen Z consumer behavior,
50% of respondents said they plan to make their own clothing
in 2023, while more than a quarter plan to turn to thrifting.

8. — 7
SPRINT MILANO ART BOOK FESTIVAL
SCOTT GALLOWAY
Z’s are
Analog-Loving
Digital Natives
How do you connect with a customer raised
on digital but deeply valuing the physical?
“Gen Z, he says, “is not in denial. They recognize that this app-
based life is really bad for them.” He reports that they wish they
had childhoods more like those of their parents, in which they
could play outside and have adventures with their friends. They
see the point of getting off social media.”
—JONATHAN HAIDT ON THE ‘NATIONAL CRISIS’ OF GEN Z, WALL STREET JOURNAL
A’s will use digital as tool, not time suck, to discover and
engage with the physical world.

9. — 8
DAZED
GOOD GUYS PODCAST
Z’s are
Emo
Sweethearts
How do you speak to an audience that has both
a dark/sarcastic side and a soft/sensitive side?
“In 2021, the horror genre gained 13% market share of the box
office, its highest control since ‘95. For the very first time horror
ticket sales beat out comedies, dramas, and thrillers.”
—THENUMBERS.COM
A’s will understand how to manage their feelings and
process others’.

10. DONEGER | TOBE, ©2023 Henry Doneger Associates, Inc. 463 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10018. All rights reserved.
No part of this content may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy or recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system.
There is more to explore with these generations.
Reach out for a conversation tailored to your business.
LESLIE J GHIZE
EVP, DONEGER | TOBE
lghize@tobereport.com