Conquering the young consumer generation Gen Z is very difficult!

With the ability to quickly grasp trends, the young consumer generation (Gen Z) is contributing to reshaping the way businesses approach the market, build brands and manage human resources.

Gen Z consumers make important contributions to the growth of the digital economy - Photo: QUANG DINH

Forecasted to account for nearly 1/3 of total consumers in Vietnam by 2025, Gen Z is the customer group that Vietnamese businesses are trying to reach, not wanting to "miss the beat".

Not just new consumers

Nguyen Trung Ba Thuc (born in 1997), founder of the fashion brand Levents, said that the company's main target customers are Gen Z. Levents does not sell clothes but "sells emotions and dreams".

This slogan is similar to the characteristics of Gen Z, a generation of customers who not only buy products but also buy experiences, personalities and emotions associated with the brand, contributing to creating a new shopping culture.

Targeting customers aged 18-24 with high income (from family or self-employed), Thuc told Tuoi Tre: "These are people who are discovering themselves and are influenced by the lifestyle of their idols.

Therefore, most of the brand's staff focuses heavily on utilizing digital tools to engage in emotional marketing campaigns, telling inspirational stories from rich-kids and successful young people."

Meanwhile, with familiar content about learning English, lifestyle and daily work, the YouTube channel founded by MC Khanh Vy (born in 1999) currently has more than 2.1 million subscribers.

Her channel not only attracted millions of views but also helped Khanh Vy become famous, paving the way for cooperation with many big brands and generating significant revenue from advertising.

Such personal channels that become "brand representatives" are not rare nowadays.

YouTube platform said that after 10 years of operating in Vietnam, they have attracted more than 50 million users and have more than 1,800 channels of creators, artists and businesses.

And by the end of 2024, the number of channels with revenue of more than 100 million VND from the ad-enabled feature increased by more than 30% compared to the same period in 2023.

This is further reinforced by a Nielsen survey, which found that about 55% of Gen Z consumers regularly consult reviews from influencers such as KOLs/KOCs with 10,000 - 100,000 followers on social media before shopping online.

"This generation of young users is becoming an important force in the digital economy through creating and 'consuming' content on platforms such as TikTok or YouTube," the survey noted.

Find ways to win over young customers

According to Nielsen statistics, Gen Z in Vietnam will reach 14.7 million people in 2025 and account for about 30% of the total number of consumers. This force will contribute 21% to the labor force, becoming a group with great influence on the consumer market and working culture.

However, this group of customers needs more than a good product - it must be a story, emotion and experience that they can trust and accompany for a long time.

Ms. Nguyen Hoai Xuan Lan, co-founder of Coolmate, shared with Tuoi Tre newspaper: the company has planned to conquer Gen Z because currently most of the company's traditional customers are over 25 years old.

Ms. Lan admitted that Coolmate cannot compete with many brands in attracting Gen Z.

"We need more time to research the appropriate approach and product development. This is the customer group we have to conquer, because they account for an increasingly large proportion of the market," said Ms. Lan.

According to the observation of this domestic fashion brand owner, Gen Z is willing to pay more for "suitable" products and is easily influenced by friends or KOLs on TikTok. They often make quick shopping decisions, without much hesitation like previous generations.

At Coolmate, where the majority of employees are Gen Z, Ms. Lan said the company has also had to adjust its management style to accommodate.

“You can’t just be loud and expect them to listen,” she said. In addition to fair compensation, clear career paths and policy transparency are key to retaining Gen Z employees.

Source: YouNet ECI - Data: HONG PHUC - Graphics: T.DAT

Generation Z are people born between 1997 and 2012, also known as citizens of the digital age. By 2025, Gen Z will be between 13 and 28 years old.

In the digital economy, they are not only passive consumers but also content creators, entrepreneurs and important contributors to overall growth.

Challenges from consumer habits

Despite being more tech-savvy than previous generations, many Gen Zers are still vulnerable to online scams, especially when buying idol-related products. A typical example is the fake K-pop concert ticket scam in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

In recent music events, many young people lost money when buying cheap tickets, from 500,000 VND to 1 million VND compared to the original price of 2 - 3 million VND, through fake accounts on Facebook and Zalo.

In addition, excessive online shopping habits are also a concern. Tran My (26 years old, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City) often "hunts for sales" on e-commerce platforms and buys items related to her idols.

She also admitted that she often encounters risks when shopping online, such as ordering but not receiving the product, or the product arriving is not as advertised even after payment. "Every time I buy, I am nervous, not knowing what I will receive.

There was a time when I finished paying but the goods were nowhere to be found, but if it's under 500,000 VND, I'll ignore it," My said.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chinh-phuc-the-he-tieu-dung-tre-gen-z-kho-lam-day-20250405021133301.htm