WHAT'S THE STORY
Do b e t t e r – Yo u t h
WANTED! Coveted, yet hard to reach: the target group consisting of 15 to 25-year-olds follows its own rules in terms of cons umption and communication. As digital natives, they grew up differently than the previous generation. How does the youth tick? And how can brands and retailers reach them? Nicoletta Schaper investigates. Photo: Peuterey Plurals
N
ewseum turns into a meeting place every Saturday. The concept store in Nuremberg attracts a young audience. One can hear hip-hop vibes and scraps of English. A number of people from Adidas in nearby Herzogenaurach regularly meet up for coffee here at the weekends. One can spot a group of young people taking selfies in new outfits in the spot dedicated to creating posts that can be shared online instantly. Store manager Nico Crämer has achieved what many dream of: he has turned Newseum into a destination for Generation Z. PLAYGROUND
This generation is a desperately coveted target group, but it’s incredibly hard to reach. It seems odd, especially as this particular generation is interested in fashion, as was proven last year in a study conducted by the University of Vienna. More than 2,000 ninth to twelfth grade students were asked what they spend their pocket money on. With 42.9 percent, clothing is among the top answers alongside food and activities with friends. “The importance of clothing is growing immensely,” Crämer agrees. “They now spend more money on fashion than on their mobile phones.” However, being relevant to the youth no longer has anything to do with what one used to call best practices. “Many would love to have them as customers, but nobody takes them seriously,” says Holger Petermann, the owner of Think Inc Communications. “Today, even 18-year-olds have an international network and have emancipated themselves with far greater brand awareness than before. Many older people simply cannot understand how they tick and what is important to them.” Winni Klenk, the owner of Abseits in Stuttgart, is curious. “The youth seems about as unorthodox as they have been since the 1980s. Their look can be utterly incomprehensible, even for a 30-year-old.” In November 2017, Klenk launched Frieder 39, a store that stocks 124
style in progress
Freed from convention and unmoved by the conventional: Gen Z has its own understanding of fashion.
