E-commerce Expert on How and Where Gen Z Parents Shop

Written by: Emma Whitaker

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Generation Z represents the first true "digital natives" who entered adulthood already immersed in an ecosystem of social media, marketplaces, and instant payments. According to Entrepreneur, over 53% of Gen Z have purchased products through social networks, and 68% of Zoomers discover new products specifically through social media. For brands working with young audiences and young parents, this means not just a shift in sales channels, but a complete rebuild of the entire customer engagement model.

"Zoomers don't contrast online and offline - they expect a holistic experience from brands where digital technologies and live interactions complement each other," notes Irina Iakhina, member of the European Digital Commerce & Marketing Association.

Irina's perspective is based not only on analytics but also on practical experience. She developed a children's clothing brand during a period when offline sales began to decline, supply chains worked unstably, and consumer habits were rapidly changing. Under these conditions, online transformed from a supplementary channel into a key growth driver and effectively became the foundation of the business model.

Today, Irina not only continues to develop e-commerce approaches in practice but also researches the phenomenon of digital commerce, serving as an author and reviewer of academic publications on economics, digital markets, and the transformation of consumption.

In an interview for Brainz, Irina shares how the experience of crisis, accelerated digitalization, and working with Generation Z shapes new sustainable business models, and why Zoomers are becoming the main driver of these changes.

Irina, you research digital consumption models not only as an entrepreneur but also as an author and reviewer of academic articles on economics. Given that online sales of children's clothing continue to grow, can we say that offline stores will gradually disappear without support from the Gen Z audience?

I don't believe offline will disappear completely, it will transform. For Zoomers, physical space is not so much a point of purchase as part of the brand experience. A store becomes a place where you can "touch" the brand, see the collection, create content, interact with the team. It's about emotions and trust, which are difficult to fully convey online. So offline will remain, but in the format of showrooms, pop-up spaces, and events.

You built your brand without investors or partners, relying on digital channels. What's more important in this model for you, rapid growth through marketplaces or long-term retention through branding?

Zoomers expect not channels from brands, but a holistic experience. Marketplaces work great for attracting new audiences, especially in the early stages. But business sustainability is built precisely through retention.

Storytelling transforms a one-time buyer into a brand advocate. We use marketplaces for reach, while directing our main energy toward building the brand story, content, visual language, communication through social media and the website. Balance is achieved through analytics, we clearly see which channels bring customers with a long lifecycle.

In your academic publications, you write about the transformation of trust in the digital economy. What formats generate more trust with your audience?

We regularly show the process of creating collections, from initial sketches to packing orders. This reduces the distance between brand and customer. "Before/after" formats work well, along with short behind-the-scenes videos from shoots, mini-interviews with designers and production staff. Customer stories have a particularly strong effect, when we share who they are and how they wear our pieces. This builds not just loyalty, but community.

In your view, how can digital channels and offline formats reinforce each other? Do you use pop-up shops and live events as part of your digital strategy?

Yes, and very deliberately. Pop-up formats and offline events give a powerful boost to online sales. After them, website traffic increases, social media engagement grows, and repeat purchases rise. It's important that offline isn't a separate activity but a continuation of the brand's digital story with unified style, values, and communication.

Zoomers value speed and convenience. What operational solutions have you implemented to meet these expectations - from product selection to delivery?

We've implemented one-click payment, integrations with popular payment systems, and fast delivery to major cities. We're developing a click-and-collect format - ordering online with pickup at an offline location. CRM automation, warehouse and logistics processes allow us to shorten the customer journey from selection to receiving their purchase.

As an ECDMA member and digital marketing practitioner, do you see a risk of audience fatigue from constant "overheating" and discounts?

Yes, and this risk is already materializing. To avoid losing trust, it's important to be selective. We're deliberately reducing aggressive advertising and focusing on content with value, knowledge, inspiration, honest stories. Sometimes it's useful to take a break from sales and focus on dialogue with the audience.

What technologies, in your opinion, will be key to uniting digital and live experiences in the coming years?

Online sales will become dominant in the next 5-7 years. Already today, the boundaries between online and offline are blurring. For sustainable growth, we need to develop infrastructure, fast delivery, smart warehouses, simple and free returns. Logistics sustainability is also important, as Zoomers are very sensitive to this. When delivery becomes as comfortable as going to a store, offline will transform into an emotional rather than functional format, AR try-ons, personalization, chatbots with a "human" tone of communication. But equally important are offline collaborations and local communities. For Zoomers a sense of belonging is often more important than the purchase itself. Success will belong to brands that can combine technology and emotion.