Millennials’ v. Everybody
Digital Department Stores
Millennials are the worst generation to ever walk on Earth. I am sure that every company would agree that they hate millennials too. They provide a progressive solution to every department store’s problem, hate it. The way that millennials purchase almost everything online in the matter of ten whole seconds, gets under department stores skin. I mean, get up, drive to the store, better yet walk to the store and buy the products, lazy pants! Back in the day, there were no such things as Apple or Amazon.
You know the worst part about millennials taking over; they use their digital platforms to shine light on themselves. This article, is all about those ground-breaking individuals.
Matter of fact, I am a millennial, writing about millennials. Such a self-centered generation, I know!
Companies have somewhat of a love-hate relationship with millennials. They hate that their normal way of distributing products is being challenged. Well smarty-pants, what is the normal way companies use to sell products? Depending on consumers to physically come into the department stores and purchase products. In recent years, the online world has dominated the market industry, thanks to most hated, millennials. However, companies love us, because we flood their online stores with our money our parents gave us.
Senior marketing manager over BigCommerce, Tracey Wallace, released information concerning the economical ecommerce:
Ecommerce trends by generation
67% of Millennials and 56% of Gen Xers prefer to shop on online rather than in-store.
41% of Baby Boomers and 28% of Seniors will click to purchase.
Millennials and Gen Xers spend nearly 50% as much time shopping online each week (six hours) than their older counterparts (four hours).
48% of millennials have shopped on marketplaces, 76% at large retailer sites, 46% on online stores or independent boutiques, and 29% at category-specific online stores.
56% of Gen Xers have shopped on marketplaces, 76% at large retailer sites, 49% on online stores or independent boutiques, and 37% at category-specific online stores.
59% of Baby Boomers have shopped on marketplaces, 74% at large retailer sites, 42% on online stores or independent boutiques, and 39% at category-specific online stores.
51% of Seniors have shopped on marketplaces, 66% at large retailer sites, 30% on online stores or independent boutiques, and 44% at category-specific online stores.
Millennials and Gen Xers spend 6 hours per week shopping online
Baby Boomers spend 4 per week shopping online.
Seniors spend 2.5 hours per week shopping online.
(Excerpt from Ecommerce Trends: 147 Stats Revealing How Modern Customers Shop in 2017)
In addition to the liberal mindsets most millennials have, it also challenges the ethical aspect of most companies. In April of 2017, Pepsi released a controversial video with model and social media mogul, Kendall Jenner, 21. The video was about 2 minutes long, and depicted a Kendall Jenner as a blond hair, wealthy and self-centered model. As Jenner indulges in a photo shoot, there is protest going on just down the street. Kendall is seen recognizing the noise coming from just down the street from her photo shoot.
Ultimately, Jenner leaves the photoshoot to join the protestors. In the crowd there are variations of people like a middle-Eastern woman dressed in a hijab. Hip-hop dancers, representatives from the LGBT community (i.e. a transgender woman), and a man who is seemingly representing the Islamic faith. While the video was intended to promote unity among all people, it ultimately did the opposite.
Towards the end of the video, Jenner can be seen approaching a line of police officers. There is stare down between Kendall and the armed officers. No one gets hurt, because thankfully a can of Pepsi suddenly appears and grants everyone the advantage of world peace.
What was the response of Millennials? They hated it.
Ieshia Evans, a protester from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, took a stand in result of the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling. A picture was taken while Evans stood firmly, powerfully, to the Louisiana State police. Following Iesha’s bold decision, she was arrested by the police, along with DeRay McKesson, an activist for Black Lives Matter, according to Nicole Hensley, from the New York Daily news.
In the Pepsi commercial, Kendall Jenner can be seen making similar actions as Ieshia Evans. However, the 21 year-old model is not arrested, but instead she solves the problems of the world by taking a sip of Pepsi. Now, although the message was intended to attract the attention of millennials, however, it offended the masses on social media.
The video came off as a mockery of the Black Lives Matter activist, Ieshia Evans. Pepsi wanted to create a movement but ended up offending the movement. Thanks to the outspoken millennials though, the video ad was quickly removed.
So, this response from the young consumers on social media, made an impact on such a huge company like Pepsi. This speaks major volume if an uproar on social media, can cause Pepsi to remove their video ad with such a famous media figure, Kendall Jenner. The commercial degraded a movement that was created as an alarm for all the black lives’ that were taken by the hands of police officers.
While many people from Generation X may disagree with our often outspoken and proud ways; it has often shown to create a change that is greater than anything anyone could imagine. Millennials are making a change that will help everyone in the long run. Shopping online not only helps millennials, but it can help seniors and others who may not be that strong physically. Everyone will win if millennials are put on the team of other generations.
But, if millennials keep being placed on the back burner because of our youth, then the progressiveness companies need in their business will vanish. Millennials are still growing, and learning how to become adults. Of course we will not get everything right, every time, no generation has. Nonetheless, we have had a significant influence on generations before, and the upcoming generation. Millennials rule, and so do you, my fellow Seniors and Generation Xers!
REFERENCES:
1https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/ecommerce-trends/
https://www.bcg.com/documents/file103894.pdf
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jul/22/i-wasnt-afraid-i-took-a-stand-in-baton-rouge-because-enough-is-enough
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/woman-stunning-baton-rouge-protest-photo-nurse-mother-article-1.2706944
