Best Practices: What Kids Care About When It Comes to Online Shopping

Christine Carter was 21 when she started Epps Consulting, advising small retailers on their marketing and promotional strategies. Now 24, Carter provides research and consulting services to retailers including marketing, advertising, public relations, promotional and brand support. I took a few minutes to chat with her about the habits and behaviors of kids as shoppers online and offline.

Here’s a snippet from the full interview available on eMarketer Total Access.

eMarketer: What do you consider the age range for youth online shopping? Are kids as young as 12 and 13 going online, browsing and shopping?

Christine Carter:

Kids as young as 13 are going online and shopping without assistance from their parents. In some situations these kids are assisting their parents in making online purchases. A lot of these kids grew up with this technology so it’s second nature to them whereas the parents are learning to get involved with the technology. Generation Y, which ranges from ages 13 to 31, relies on peer recommendations and referrals. They’re not really researching or browsing. Their time is too valuable and too short. They feel entitled to have their parent’s credit card information.

eMarketer: What is the sweet spot for online shopping where kids are concerned?

Carter:

For girls it is 14 to 16. They’re a little bit more independent than, say, the 12- to 14-year-olds. Older teen girls are interested in browsing and connecting with friends a little bit more. Parents trust them a little bit more in shopping decisions. With boys, it’s age 15 to 17.

eMarketer: What are kids doing online where retail sites are concerned? Are they browsing, researching, comparing prices, watching video?

Carter:

Nine times out of 10, if they’re online, they’re going to just go ahead and make that purchase. Kids aren’t big on researching. Once they hit their early 20s, then they check product reviews and compare prices before they make their buying decision. Kids really appreciate the brands and being in the physical stores—touching the item, showing it to friends and getting their approval and opinion. If kids are purchasing something online or on their mobile phone, they’re probably purchasing it in a pinch. They want that item now. They prefer to be in the store.

When it comes to ratings, peer ratings are most important. Kids are interested in finding out what their friends think, as opposed to what industry experts think or what adults think about a product or brand. They’re interested in their friends’ opinion and their friends’ approval. They’re very self-involved.

eMarketer: What role do online social networks such as Facebook play in terms of conversations that influence kids about brands and retailers?

Carter:

Social media is extremely influential with kids. Facebook reviews and ratings come second to the opinion of peers—on social networks and off. But kids don’t care about a retailer’s Facebook page.

The No. 1 retailer on Facebook is Victoria’s Secret, which isn’t a brand for kids. They have a good fan base. Whenever they do a post, they have tons of people who respond with comments. Even so, they have trouble breaking down the information that they’re finding on Facebook into tangible results for their market. It’s because retailers still are afraid to be on Facebook because they can lose some control. People in their early- to mid-20s become more interested in participating in a two-way conversation with retailers instead of being marketed to.

eMarketer: Are kids using smartphones at retail while they’re shopping to share, for example, looks with friends who aren’t with them?

Carter:

I haven’t seen that behavior prior to purchasing something. I’ve seen it after making the purchase and deciding with the two or three friends who are there if it was a worthwhile purchase. I’ve seen Facebook status posts telling friends about a new purchase and showing a photo of it. Or it might be a photo of the person with the item or wearing it. But I haven’t seen it prior to making a purchase, a sort of “Should I get this?” post. Kids’ purchase decisions aren’t that involved.

eMarketer: What shopping behaviors and attitudes differentiate kids from older consumers?

Carter:

They’re not researching; they’ll make some purchases online with their parents’ credit card, but they enjoy shopping more in the stores with their friends. Shopping isn’t a chore like it might be for their parents. Shopping is a social experience. Kids are growing up with reality television where celebrities are celebrities for no reason. They want to feel important. They want to feel like they’re a celebrity in their world, which is why peer approval means so much to them as well as being out shopping with their peers. The shopping experience in the store is just incredible for them. It means a lot more than online shopping. They’ll compare stuff and what not, but they’re doing that in the stores with friends.

eMarketer: What are retailers doing to provide rich online and offline shopping experiences for young people?

Carter:

This generation loves celebrity endorsements and word-of-mouth referrals. Retailers with Vivid graphics and color on their home pages speak to kids. Also, having photos and scenes of kids in the same age range as your target demographic who are enjoying or wearing your products go a long way. Forever 21, for example, added tween model Kendall Jenner, the sister of Kim, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian, to its site. Enhancing the physical shopping experience is really important. Retailers need to choose the right music, lighting, color palette, layout and visual merchandising scheme.

eMarketer: How much influence do parents have over young consumers’ buying decisions?

Carter:

The parents are basically, as awful as it sounds, playing the role of the bank and the chauffeur. The parents drop the kids off and they’re going to their own stores while the kids are shopping at different with peers. Other than playing the role of the bank, it isn’t until the early to mid-20s that they’re actually having a shopping relationship with the parents and trusting their opinion.

For teens, the peers are priceless. Parents are only there as a source of income. Retailers don’t really accommodate parents of tweens and teens other than having comfortable seating although I will say American Eagle actually has a lounge for parents that’s stocked with magazines.

eMarketer: You mentioned Forever 21. What kind of tools does Forever21.com offer girls to enhance their shopping experience?

Carter:

It has an option of putting a look together. You can shop a complete look on the website, which is something that the girls appreciate. And shopping in the stores is like an episode of The Hills for girls. And that’s basically where they pull their look from.

Magazine sites and TV shows are big influencers. People.com breaks apart the outfits of celebrities and others who are famous just for being famous. Then you see how to get those looks at Forever 21. Get the look for less. Other sites invite kids to upload a photo and try on outfits as well, like on a mannequin. The No. 1 teen retailer for girls is Forever 21 and its goal is to become a department store, to rival Nordstrom and Macy’s for reaching their customer.

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