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Born between 1981 and 1996, millennials are known as intentional and cost-conscious shoppers—and their purchasing power is increasing. By the early 2030s, they’ll replace Gen X (born between 1965 and 1980) as the top global spenders, according to a report by consumer intelligence firm NielsenIQ and global consumer forecaster World Data Lab.
In this article, learn how millennials differ from Gen Z and Gen X and how to market to them, with examples.
Who are millennials?
Millennial is the name for the generation born between 1981 and 1996, the oldest of whom reached legal adulthood at the turn of the millennium. As of 2026, they are the largest generation across the world’s biggest 20 economies.
In the United States, they have also been accumulating wealth. Millennials’ total net worth has more than quadrupled since 2020, growing from $4.36 trillion in Q1 2020 to $18.73 trillion in Q4 2025. They account for 26.1% of total sales in the US, up five percentage points since 2020, according to consumer insights company Numerator.
Although once mocked for frivolous spending on fancy coffee and avocado toast, today’s millennial shoppers are thrifty and value-oriented, according to NIQ’s Millennials Around the World report. Compared to the total population, they more often shop carefully for food, clothes, and other necessities; use coupons; and frequent discount stores.
Millennials also shop online more than other generations. Fifty-five percent of US millennials shop online two to three times a week, compared to 48% of Gen Z, according to performance marketing platform Wunderkind.
Millennials are into shopping through social media, too. A report by product experience platform Salsify found that 67% of millennials discover new products and businesses through social media. They are also, as Emarketer reports, the most active shoppers on TikTok Shop.
Millennials vs. Gen Z
Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Z is the generation after millennials. Both millennials and Gen Z are tech savvy and comfortable with mobile-first technologies. But there are key differences between the two. Millennials witnessed the internet’s evolution, while Gen Z is the first digital-native generation.
Here are three key differences to keep in mind when it comes to these two groups of potential customers:
Aesthetic
While both generations gravitate toward relatable and authentic content, millennials are partial to polished aesthetics.
“Compared to Gen Z, who thrive on disruption and originality, maybe even quirk, millennials tend to prefer consistency, intentionality, and a sense of elevated style,” says Cristina Suarez Krumsick, founder and CEO of creative agency Isetta.
Social media consumption
Gen Z and millennials use the same top three social media platforms, but prioritize them differently. Millennials’ top platforms are Facebook and Instagram (tied at 42%) and TikTok (33%), according to Sprout Social’s 2026 Social Media Content Strategy Report. Meanwhile Gen Z’s top platform is Instagram (41%), followed by TikTok (39%), and then Facebook (35%).
Agentic commerce
Both millennials and Gen Z are interested in agentic commerce, but at different levels. Millennials lead the way, with 30% interested in agentic commerce; Gen Z follows behind at 26%, according to Salsify.
Their reasons for adopting agentic commerce are also different. The top reason millennials are interested in agentic commerce is because they believe these tools are impartial and more knowledgeable than them. Meanwhile, for Gen Z, these tools save time, letting them complete their shopping more quickly.
Millennials vs. Gen X
Born between 1965 and 1980, Gen X is the generation before millennials. While they make up a smaller percentage of the population than millennials, they lead consumer spending (and are projected to continue leading until 2033), according to a NielsonIQ report.
Here’s more on how Gen X and millennials compare:
Meaning of authenticity
Millennials and Gen Xers differ in their preferred marketing approach. “Gen X gravitates toward authenticity grounded in practicality, with more straightforward messaging, whereas millennials are looking for deeper resonance that sends some kind of signal about who they are,” Cristina says.
Social media consumption
When it comes to social media, Gen Xers are faithful to legacy platforms. Facebook remains Gen X’s favored platform, followed by YouTube and Instagram, according to Sprout Social.
While millennials’ top discovery channel is social media, Gen X’s is physical retail stores, according to Salsify.
Financial responsibilities
Millennials and Gen X share substantial financial responsibilities. As sandwich generations, they support both their children and aging parents. However, 69% of Gen X don’t have children living at home anymore, according to Numerator. Meanwhile, almost one in two millennials have kids under 18 living at home.
4 tips for marketing to millennials
- Invest in user-generated content
- Cultivate genuine influencer marketing
- Host family-friendly events
- Lean into AI discoverability
When it comes to developing your marketing strategy, there are a few key approaches that can help you reach the millennial audience:
Invest in user-generated content
User-generated content (UGC) is content created by customers, like product reviews or social media posts. Some 78% of millennials feel UGC is more trustworthy and valuable than brand, retailer, or influencer content, with a preference for video as a medium.
Many Shopify themes include UGC content blocks. However, branding and design agency Otherhalf recommends experimenting beyond those set content blocks to incorporate UGC into your website.
“It’s very typical with a lot of out-of-the-box themes to have your social media grid at the bottom, before your footer,” says Jaz Fenton, cofounder of Otherhalf Studio, on Shopify Masters. “I would definitely challenge people to use other content blocks, where they might put more of a curated editorial image and play with some UGC video.”
Fenty Beauty, which is popular with millennial audiences and was started by millennial pop star Rihanna, has a curated collection of UGC videos at the bottom of their homepage. Each video links to the products customers used. This section includes people of different backgrounds with different skin types to cater to many audiences.
Cultivate genuine influencer marketing
Influencer marketing is a partnership between a business and a creator who has built an audience. Millennials understand the mechanics of influencer marketing, but they still largely expect influencers to be authentic in their recommendations.
Sprout Social’s State of Influencer Marketing in 2027 report estimates that about 50% of millennials value influencer authenticity.
"Millennials can detect inauthenticity quickly, so influencer marketing must prioritize genuine enthusiasm,” Cristina says. “The most effective campaigns involve creators who are real fans of the brand, who use their own voice and storytelling, and who aren’t overly scripted.”
Luxury bedding brand Parachute targets a millennial audience via influencers. To promote their lightweight cotton percale sheets, they teamed up with influencers such as Olivia McDowell. In one TikTok video, Olivia shows how she prepares her guest room for her sister’s visit using a pair of striped sheets.
Instead of a straightforward promotional video, Olivia takes viewers inside her everyday life (preparing her guest room). This video is in line with the rest of Olivia’s content, where she adds beauty to her home and gravitates toward neutral, calming colors.
If you have an influencer in mind, you can invite them to collaborate through the Shopify Collabs app. You can also create a page on your store and invite influencers who love your products to apply to work with you.
Host family-friendly events
As of 2018—the most recent data available—more than half of millennial women had entered parenthood. Brands targeting millennial parents can find success with family-friendly marketing activations. For example, nonalcoholic aperitif company De Soi hosted a tasting at a well-known family-friendly event on a farm.
“Recently we poured St. Moritz Mule at Apricot Lane Farms—a dreamy spot in Ventura County known for its Family Fridays, where families and new parents come to unwind with kids in tow (basically: our exact audience),” Scout Brisson, the company’s former CEO and current strategic advisor, shared on LinkedIn.
The event resulted in conversations with new customers, as well as attendees sending DMs asking where to buy products and letting the company know they stocked up on De Soi.
Lean into AI discoverability
AI is reshaping how consumers discover products—especially millennials. Research from Salsify found that about 20% of millennials say they trust and use AI shopping tools, compared to 14% of the total population.
To reach millennials searching for products with AI answer engines, ensure your products are discoverable by AI agents. Businesses that run on Shopify can use Knowledge Base to review and customize the information AI platforms use about their store. It helps to train AI agents on your brand voice and policies so they can field questions across AI channels.
Shopify’s agentic storefronts also package information from your product catalog, checkout, and brand information so that AI platforms can present them natively in a conversation.
On your site’s back end, set up your robots.tx file for AI platform crawlers. Then, organize your product information (title, price, material, etc.) in standard, machine-readable fields instead of within marketing copy or page layouts. Shopify Catalog includes the same schema fields automatically for all stores on Shopify.
Scan your site with Shopify’s free audit tool to make sure your site is agent-ready.
Marketing to millennials FAQ
How do you market toward millennials?
To successfully market to millennials, highlight user-generated content on your channels, team up with influencers who can produce authentic content about your business, and increase your visibility in AI shopping tools. You can also reach millennials on their top social media platforms: Facebook and Instagram.
Where is the best place to advertise to millennials?
Millennials engage most with Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. They use Facebook and Instagram more than other generations.
What are millennials buying the most?
Millennials are top purchasers in fashion and apparel, personal care and beauty, household supplies, furniture and home goods, and health and wellness.
