Gen Z Shopper Insights Study: A Digital Diary Case Study: Phase 1

Client

A Global Mass Merchandiser

Service

Shopper Insights / Digital Diary Research

Sector

Retail & Mass Merchandise

Coverage

United States

A global mass merchandiser partnered with us to conduct a Phase 1 digital diary study among Gen Z fashion shoppers in the US, supporting a focused Gen Z shopper insights study. The study was designed to capture how young shoppers engage with mass merchandise retail over a full week, using text, images, and video clips to document real shopping experiences as they unfolded.

The objective was to move beyond one-time recall and capture in-the-moment shopper behaviour in a more natural retail context. Through a 7-day digital diary approach, the research explored Gen Z purchasing behavior, including how they interact with specific mass merchandisers, what shapes their shopping choices, and how everyday retail touchpoints influence category perception, browsing behavior, and purchase consideration.

The Challenge

The challenge was to understand fast-changing Gen Z retail behavior research in a mass-merchandise context, where value, style, convenience, product discovery, peer influence, and retail experience can shift shopping decisions quickly.

For a mass merchandiser, the difficulty was not just identifying what Gen Z shoppers preferred but capturing how those preferences changed across real weekly shopping moments. Product availability, price perception, trend relevance, assortment appeal, and store fit all influenced how this audience engaged with fashion retail.

The study needed visibility into:

• How Gen Z shoppers engaged with mass merchandisers during weekly shopping routines.

• What influenced product discovery, browsing, consideration, and purchase decisions.

• How fashion shoppers evaluated value, assortment, accessibility, and retail relevance.

• Which retail touchpoints shaped shopper perception and category engagement.

• Which shopper behaviours and high-engagement responses could inform deeper Phase 2 qualitative probing.

The key requirement was to capture behaviour close to the shopping moment, allowing participants to share written responses, images, and short video clips that reflected real shopping context rather than reconstructed feedback, supporting more grounded retail consumer insights and purchase decision research.

What We Did

We designed a Phase 1 digital diary research program using the Forsta Digital Diary platform to support qualitative shopper research among Gen Z fashion shoppers. Participants were invited to complete diary tasks across one week, documenting their shopping experiences, retail interactions, category observations, and moments of influence.

The study included:

• Recruited 22 Gen Z mass merchandiser fashion shoppers.

• Included respondents aged 16–25 years.

• Screened participants for weekly shopping at specific mass merchandisers.

• Required participants to have at least $25 in expendable cash each week.

• Conducted the study over a 7-day diary period.

• Used text, image, and video-based diary entries to capture in-context shopper experiences.

• Ran the research through the Forsta Digital Diary platform.

The digital diary format allowed participants to record their behaviour in context rather than reconstruct it later, capturing shopping routines, product interactions, category triggers, retail experience cues and purchase consideration moments across the week to add depth to Gen Z shopping behavior analysis.

The Impact of the Research

The study helped the client build an initial understanding of Gen Z shopper behaviour within the mass merchandise fashion category. It provided a behaviour-led foundation for identifying engaged respondents, surfacing early themes, and determining which areas required deeper qualitative probing in Phase 2, supporting stronger mass merchandise shopper insights.

Key outcomes included:

• In-the-moment visibility into Gen Z mass merchandise shopping behaviour.
  Clearer understanding of weekly shopping routines, category engagement, and purchase triggers.

• Richer shopper context through text, image, and video-based diary submissions.

• Identification of product discovery cues, value perception signals, and retail touchpoints influencing consideration.

• A stronger foundation for Phase 2 focus group discussions with highly engaged respondents.

By using digital diaries as the first phase, the research captured how Gen Z shoppers experienced mass merchandise retail in their everyday lives. The findings helped the client move from observed shopper behaviour to deeper discussion-led exploration, creating a stronger base for Gen Z focus group research in Phase 2.

For brands looking to understand what younger shoppers do, feel, and decide in the moment, contact us to uncover shopper behaviour, digital diary insights, and purchase decision journeys across consumer segments, categories, and markets.