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Despite Retail’s Investment in the Metaverse, New Study from Zipline Finds 85% of Gen Z Is Indifferent About Brands Establishing a Virtual Presence

A purple-toned image shows a smartphone, shopping cart, delivery boxes, and a world map. A dotted line swirls across the background, suggesting connectivity and e-commerce.

Zipline’s Retail Metaverse Report surveyed 600 people across the country ages 13-50 to better understand how generational differences influence consumer perception of and participation in virtual retail experiences.

Key data from the report reveals:

  • 80% of Gen Z is “familiar” with the metaverse and 51% have participated in it through gaming, purchasing non-fungible tokens (NFTs), or other activities. While Millennials have comparable levels of familiarity with the metaverse (84%), their participation rate is much lower (37%).
  • 83% of people across all generations said gaming was their main reason for participating in the metaverse.
  • 42% of respondents across all generations who have participated in the metaverse have used it for shopping.
  • 84% of Gen X respondents said they were at least somewhat interested in receiving an NFT from their favorite brands compared to 70% of Millennials and 63% of Gen Z respondents.
  • 85% of Gen Z respondents reported feeling indifferent about brands developing a presence in the metaverse, but the same percentage said they’d be interested in hybrid in-store experiences that use mixed reality technologies to incorporate a virtual element to shopping.

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