Gen Z mobile shopping habits show young consumers now discover, compare and pay for products entirely on a phone; the store fits in their pocket.
*In this article, Gen Z findings primarily refer to respondents aged 18–29, depending on the age bands available in each TGM study. Where broader age groups such as 25–34 are shown, we identify them separately rather than treating the entire group as Gen Z.
A decade ago, a smartphone was where a shopping trip started, a quick product search before heading to a store, or a laptop to actually buy. That separation is disappearing.
According to TGM Research's e-commerce consumer study 2026, 73% of shoppers aged 18–24 (N=1,141) and 76% of those aged 25–34 (N=1,183) now use a mobile device as their primary way to shop online. TGM's latest data is a clear sign that Gen Z's mobile shopping habits have moved well past browsing.
What stands out is which age group leads: the older cohort, 25–34, reports slightly higher mobile-shopping usage than 18–24-year-olds. In other words, this isn't a habit that fades as consumers age and gain more spending power — mobile is becoming the default across two full generations of digital buyers, from browsing and price comparison through to checkout.
For retailers still designing around a desktop-first or app-optional experience, this is a signal that the gap between "mobile traffic" and "mobile revenue" is closing fast.
Treating mobile as a secondary channel now risks losing the majority of the transaction, not just a share of traffic. A few practical priorities follow directly from Gen Z's mobile shopping habits:
These figures in this article come from TGM Research's E-commerce Insights 2026 study, which surveyed over 7,000 shoppers across seven markets on how, where and how often they buy online.
Mobile has quietly taken over the entire shopping process for Gen Z, not just browsing, but comparing, paying and checking out too. This piece breaks down what TGM Research's latest E-Commerce data reveals about that shift, and lays out four practical steps brands can take to stop losing sales at the mobile checkout.
The TGM E-commerce Insights 2026 study is based on a large-scale quantitative survey conducted across multiple countries worldwide, designed to capture consumer shopping patterns, users frequency, and decision drivers in 2026. The study provides comparable, country-level data to support market assessment, localization, and strategic planning for e-commerce platforms, retailers and brands.
Survey Methodology: online interviews (CAWI – Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing)
Sample Size: 7,077 participants
Age Groups: 18–65+
Country Coverage: US, UK, Poland, Germany, Italy, France & Spain
Data Weighting: Results have been weighted to reflect national demographics for accurate market representation
Findings from our data, highlighting consumer behaviour, preferences, and market signals across global markets.
Follow global economic trends and market signals through clear visual stories.
The latest launches and updates from TGM StatBox.
TGM StatBox's global e-commerce trends and insights data and infographics across Global markets.
Consumer insights, data stories and product updates as we publish them. No other mail, and one click to leave.
Roughly two emails a month.
Our team can run the study behind the story — in 60+ countries, on your question, with the data belonging to you.
Type at least two characters to search.
