We know how important the student market is for fashion retail, but some key findings on their specific buying habits show just how big an impact they make.

With 99% of them set to spend an average of £150 on clothing and accessories over the coming six months, Gen Z-ers will buy more fashion items than any other generation. In fact, two-thirds are set to spend between £76 and £500 each. That’s a total spend of £6.6 million a day, totalling £1.2 billion.

That’s according to the latest ‘Fashion Report’ from UNiDAYS based on a survey of 1,600 UK students.

Reinforcing previous findings, the latest report highlights Gen Z-ers preference for a varied wardrobe, “which fits their range of specific motivators and key moments in the student calendar as driving purchasing behaviours”.

Topping the list of the most popular reasons for them to buy new items are working out, spring holidays, staying on trend, interviews or jobs, and festivals.

And supporting the continued growth of physical retail, it says students show a unique preference for in-store shopping, with the majority indicating they’d rather browse physical stores than online sites across the majority of fashion categories.

Driving this preference is a desire to try-before-you-buy (73%), avoid delivery wait times (61%), and the convenience of having multiple stores in one location (54%).

Meanwhile, 38% say physical ads are a top source of discovery, “meaning there’s a massive opportunity for brands to advertise in public spaces with high student footfall”. 

As expected, Gen Z-ers are also digital natives, so social media sites such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are key, “primarily through peer and influencer content”. 

But professional ads still influence 47% of them when searching online, “more than any other factor or generation”.

When it comes to price, its unsurprisingly the main factor influencing fashion purchasing behaviours across the generations, the report says. 

Online and in-store student discounts “are powerful incentives and brands that support students during their academic years are likely to remain front of mind, it noted. 

Yet brand choice is “notably fluid” in the younger demographic, with only 3% expressing strong brand loyalty that prevents them from buying elsewhere. “This openness to trying new labels presents a significant market opportunity for brands to lock in a lifetime of loyalty now”, the report said. 

Across fashion categories, Gen Z consumers are more willing to buy bags from department stores than directly from brands. The broader category range will see a higher average spend of £51.39 per student, totalling a potential £416 million.

Buying jeans in the coming months, Gen Z-ers’ average spend will hit £37.98 each, totalling £307 million. Sixty percent of students buy their jeans in-store directly from their brand of choice, compared to a third of Millennials, and Gen Z and less than a quarter of Baby Boomers. 

When it comes to gymwear, the total potential spend by students in the coming months is expected to reach £236 million, with an average individual spend of £29.21. 

This is the only category where purchasing digitally is (marginally) more popular than in-store.

Footwear is one of the obvious key drivers in Gen Z spending, projected to hit £579 million over the next six months. Despite a lower disposable income and Millennials’ penchant for more exclusive footwear, students are willing to spend on average £71.60 per pair, almost the same as Millennials (£72.88) and 37% more than the mean spend of £49.41 by older shoppers.

By category, casual trainers are part of Gen Z’s culture, preferred by 90% compared with Millennials (64%), Gen X (74%), and Baby Boomers (68%), “explaining why 85% indicate they’ll buy at least one pair in the coming months”. 

Finally, ‘comfort, price, and looks’ are the most important factors for Gen Z-ers and the group is less concerned about “specific brands or trends” than Millennials.

The vast majority indicate that comfort and fit (80%), price (59%), and aesthetics (51%) are the most important factors when buying footwear. Moreover, 20% will buy retail brand footwear compared to just 10% of Millennials, Gen X, and baby boomers.

When it comes to sneaker brand choice, the top three students are planning to buy are Nike (65%), Adidas (51%), and New Balance (41%), with Adidas Samba, New Balance 530, and Nike Cortez, named as key choices. 

UNiDAYS’ Category Lead Fashion, Gonzaga Alonso, said: “Fashion is a massive contributor to individualism, which is a huge part of Gen Z identities. [But] what is more striking is students’ willingness to forego the convenience of online shopping for the instant gratification of buying in-store. All this means brands need to step up a gear when it comes to seamless and consistent experiences and start prioritising youth demands, meeting them where they’re at during key moments on the student calendar.”