Blueprint and m1nd-set launch Gen Z focused consultancy program for GTR
The insights and consultancy program is titled “GenZ RedY”
Travel retail research agency m1nd-set and business development consultancy blueprint are partnering to deepen the global travel retail industry’s understanding of the Gen Z consumer segment.
Titled “GenZ RedY”, the insights and consultancy program aims to help industry stakeholders understand the unique nature and diverse behavioral traits of this young shopper segment. The program, which is developed by both blueprint and m1nd-set, will explore how Gen Zs behave, what they shop for, why, where, and most importantly, where and how they can be reached with targeted marketing messaging.
The program will also explore how Gen Zs from across the globe behave when traveling and when shopping in travel retail and how their behavior differs from other shopper segments.
“The importance of the Gen Z shopper segment cannot be ignored; just as everyone talked about millennials over the past decade, the industry really has to get a firm understanding of how the Gen Z segment behaves, and in particular how they differ from other segments," said Thomas Kaneko-Henningsen, partner at blueprint. "Gen Zs are going to be dominating the traveler population in the very near future. Gen Zs will be the biggest customer group by 2028; that is only five years away. At blueprint, we are actively advising clients and partners to focus on this young yet high-potential shopper segment as they are really very different to other, older segments, and will need very specific attention.”
According to blueprint and m1nd-set, the GenZ RedY program accentuates the importance of a specific and tailored approach to this young segment, which is currently aged between 10 and 27.
“We see from our research that Gen Z shoppers behave quite differently to other segments in travel retail," said Peter Mohn, owner and CEO at m1nd-set. "This is not only about what they purchase, but also how much they spend, who they purchase for, what motivates them to purchase and where they source their information about retail offers.
“More importantly, they are to be found on completely different social media platforms than their parents and other generations. It’s essential to understand that Gen Zs are digital natives, and far more immersed in social media, gamification and the metaverse than the older generations; we need to meet them in their environment and with the right register.”
Kaneko-Henningsen added, “It is imperative the overall travel retail experience is reconsidered, redefined and redesigned to ensure that we as an industry are not ignoring Gen Z shoppers and missing our targets when engaging with these travelers of the future – a not too distant future, I hasten to add.”
In practice, GenZ RedY involves a four-part research and business development program: insights, conceptualization, implementation and assessment. Part 1, insights, is a workshop series, which industry stakeholders can subscribe to for both management and frontline staff. Tailored to all GTR sectors—airports, airlines, cruise & ferry companies, retailers and brands—the workshops, of varying length depending on the depth of data required and number of participants, will enable participants to get a firm understanding of Gen Z behavior, their expectations and desires when shopping in travel retail.
Secondly, in the conceptualization phase, GenZ RedY will help stakeholders to identify and explore actions that positively impact the young traveler segment’s satisfaction and spend levels. The third dimension, implementation, is to accompany stakeholders in planning and executing specific actions tailored towards the Gen Z segment. The fourth element of GenZ RedY, assessment is designed to help partners measure the impact of the actions undertaken and adjust these actions, where necessary, in close collaboration with the partners concerned.
To find out more about GenZ RedY, interested parties can write to either Peter Mohn (pmohn@m1nd-set.com) or Thomas Kaneko-Henningsen (tkh@theblueprintpartnership.com).
