Young Shoppers: Avoiding People Is the Point
When it comes to shopping habits, younger Americans prefer speed and tech, while older generations still want the human touch.
A recent consumer survey by GoDaddy compares the shopping habits of younger and older Americans. The results show a generational divide: Millennials and Homelanders favor remote, contactless interactions, while Boomers and Xers lean toward in-person, social experiences.
According to the survey, 54% of Homelanders and 50% of Millennials prefer shopping methods that minimize human interaction: online shopping, self-checkout, and pickup in-store. But only 29% of Xers and Boomers say the same thing. That’s a +20 percentage point difference.
Curbside pickup is so popular among young shoppers, 86% of Homelanders and 76% of Millennials use it at least once a month, and about 25% rely on it weekly. In stark contrast, 51% of Gen Xers and Boomers have never used curbside pickup at all.
There is also a large difference in customer service preferences. 15% of Homelanders and 10% of Millennials prefer interacting with AI chatbots rather than human customer service representatives, while only 3% of Xers and Boomers say the same.
These results aren’t surprising. Many Boomers and Xers still value the personal touch and often get frustrated navigating clunky interfaces or talking to AI. (“Can I please speak to a real person?”) But Millennials and Homelanders are a different story. They’re not just comfortable with digital tools—they often rely on them specifically to avoid interacting with other people. They appreciate the speed, the control, and the gamified experience of online shopping. For them, not having to talk to a human isn’t a compromise—it’s the whole point.