Gen Z Shopper Insights Study: A Digital Diary Case Study: Phase 2

Client

A Global Mass Merchandiser

Service

Shopper Insights / Qualitative Research

Sector

Retail & Mass Merchandise

Coverage

United States

Following the Phase 1 Gen Z digital diary study, the second phase moved into deeper qualitative research with Gen Z consumers in the US. A global mass merchandiser partnered with us to re-engage a selected group of highly engaged participants and explore their shopping behaviour in greater detail.

The objective was to move from initial shopper feedback to more focused Gen Z shopper insights. Through a 30-minute pre-task and 90-minute Zoom-based focus group discussions, the research explored how younger shoppers think about mass merchandise retail, what shapes their purchase decisions, and how their expectations from retailers are formed.

The Challenge

After the Phase 1 digital diary study, the challenge was to move beyond observed responses and understand why Gen Z shoppers made specific retail choices. Their purchase decisions were influenced by price-value perception, convenience, product discovery, social influence, brand relevance, and ease of access across shopping channels.

For a mass merchandiser, understanding this audience required more than broad profiling. It required discussion-led probing into how they explained their choices, trade-offs, expectations, and Gen Z retail experience and purchase drivers after initial diary-based feedback.

The client needed to build on Phase 1 learning by engaging respondents who demonstrated stronger participation, clearer articulation, and more relevant shopper perspectives.

The study needed visibility into:

• How engaged Gen Z respondents describe their mass merchandise shopping behaviour.
• What drives store or retailer preference among younger shoppers.
• Which purchase drivers influence consideration, choice, and repeat engagement.
• How Gen Z shoppers respond to value, convenience, assortment, and retail experience cues.
• Which themes from Phase 1 required deeper qualitative exploration in a live discussion setting.

The key requirement was to re-contact a qualified subset from Phase 1 and convert their initial feedback into richer, discussion-based shopper insights.

What We Did

We designed a Phase 2 qualitative research program built around respondent re-contact, pre-task completion, and online focus group discussions. This approach allowed the team to build on the earlier diary inputs and move into deeper shopper behavior exploration with selected Gen Z participants.

The study included:

• Re-engaged a subset of the final 20 respondents from Phase 1.
• Targeted 15 respondents for Phase 2 participation.
• Scheduled participants for 90-minute Zoom focus group discussions.
• Delivered a 30-minute pre-task by email before the discussion.
• Required participants to complete and submit the pre-task before joining the FGD.
• Used pre-task responses to guide live discussion flow and follow-up probing.

The pre-task helped respondents organise their thoughts before the session, allowing moderators to probe shopper motivations, preference formation, decision triggers, and expectation gaps. Since participants were selected from Phase 1, the discussion was more focused and supported a deeper analysis of purchase drivers.

The Impact of the Research

The study helped the client deepen its mass merchandise retail shopper insights within the Gen Z retail context. By working with previously engaged respondents, the research created a more focused view of how younger shoppers evaluate retailers, respond to value propositions, and make shopping decisions.

Key outcomes included:

• Deeper interpretation of Phase 1 themes through live qualitative discussion.
• Clearer visibility into Gen Z purchase drivers within mass merchandise retail.
• Stronger understanding of how younger shoppers evaluate value, convenience, and assortment.
• More actionable insight into shopper expectations and retail experience cues.
• Directional input for refining shopper engagement, communication, and retail strategy.

By combining recontact with respondents, pre-task preparation, and Zoom-based focus group discussions, the research helped the client turn early feedback into a clearer understanding of Gen Z decision-making. To stay ahead of changing shopper behaviour, contact us to map purchase drivers and retail decision journeys across consumer segments, categories, and markets.