"Ikea wanted to better understand how Gen Z and Gen Alpha think about furnishing and self-expression, recognizing the need to meet them on platforms they already use and learn from how they interact with products and spaces in a digital environment,"
We live in a world of instant gratification. Sushi arrives at our door in minutes, a gorgeous coat can be bought with a few taps, and dating apps let us feel attractive from the comfort of our couch. With everything available instantly, it's no surprise that some singles are craving the opposite - a rewind to romance, old-school style. Inspired by "Friends" episodes and parents beginning sentences with "Back in my day...," daters are chasing grand gestures, simpler dates
On Monday, Coach launched a collection within The Sims 4, marking the first time a fashion brand has partnered with the video game in five years. All players will be able to access the new collection, which is free and features customizable items from Coach's ready-to-wear line, including its Tabby and Brooklyn bags, as well as decorative objects that can be used to craft Coach-inspired interiors through the game's build mode.
It often starts small. A dab of concealer. A tinted moisturizer. Maybe a brow gel that goes from borrowed to bought. For many men, like Daniel Rankin, makeup has transformed from something taboo into a tool to make them look less tired and more put together. "I remember thinking, 'Am I really doing this?'" Rankin, a 24-year-old advertising agent from New York who likes to shop at Sephora, told CNBC. "But once I tried it, it just became normal."
Gen Z is aging into the life moments that define entire industries. As this generation moves through milestones like marriage, homeownership, and family planning, they're quickly becoming a core target market not just for weddings, but for a wide range of service-based businesses. What matters for these small businesses is how Gen Z's arrival, set against today's economic backdrop, is reshaping expectations for how they serve their customers.
Every January, we're bombarded with resolutions rooted in consumption-buy this, try that, subscribe to something new. For Gen Z, this consumer-first vision of the New Year feels outdated and hollow. Instead, Gen Z is turning to peers for a community-driven "soft start" to the year ahead. Popularized on TikTok, January resets offer a modern alternative to the outdated idea of resolutions. This shift from consumer-driven goals to community-supported resets is especially visible in how Gen Z is approaching health and wellness in 2026.
There was something undeniably weird about 2016. Not weird in the charming, "remember Vine?" sense, but weird in the way history feels right before it tips over. It marked a slow descent into collective unease, beginning with the surreal recapture of El Chapo, winding through celebrity deaths and the mainstreaming of one particular cartoon frog, and finally cratering with the presidential election of reality TV star Donald Trump. At the time, many outlets openly wondered whether 2016 was the worst year ever.
1. Outdated media mix models offered by major consulting houses weight older media forms like broadcast and cable more than new forms of media or ignore them completely. 2. Media fragmentation has muddied the marketplace with hundreds of new channels. 3. New media forms don't have or haven't built platforms allowing advertising at scale. 4. Bureaucracy. Large marketing organizations are slow movers, despite audiences moving elsewhere. 5. Change is hard. Lazy marketers stick to what has worked in the past, ignoring audience shifts.
For millennials, if you ask them what their styles or preferences were, you'd get a cheerleader or an athlete, or nerdy or gothic - you had sort of one label that you had to fit into, Nakajima said. With our Gen Z audience, we're seeing that it's very different.
Mass protests in Nepal and Madagascar toppled both governments this year, even when the young people at the forefront of the demonstrations were faced with heavily armed police and the threat of arrest. Many called 2025 the year of the protest although the revolution in Bangladesh in 2024 that unseated the authoritarian leader Sheikh Hasina is often credited with inspiring young people to take to the streets across parts of Asia and Africa.
Gen Z is never beating the " unemployable " allegations. For Gen Z, a growing confidence crisis means common workplace interactions are now a major source of anxiety. Working with unfamiliar colleagues, making small talk, using the phone, and waking up early were among the biggest anxieties for young workers, according to new research from Trinity College London. These fears have also been echoed online.
It used to be curry sauce, egg yolk and red wine that ruined Britain's clothes but in a sign of the times laundry detergents are being reformulated to tackle stains left by matcha lattes, Aperol spritz and bubble tea. In a month when year-end gongs are dished out, from BBC Sports Personality to Pantone's Colour of 2026 (a white called cloud dancer), matcha has received the dubious accolade stain of the year.
Collectible card games were the most-purchased secondhand product category for Gen Z in the US on eBay so far this year, according to data from the e-commerce platform. The trend was especially clear among Gen Z men, who collectively shifted spending from electronics to trading cards and other collectibles, according to eBay. Trading cards were also the top secondhand sales category among Gen Z women on the platform, followed by books and cameras.
The housing market only continues to look more bleak for younger generations-and it shows. The average age for a first-time homebuyer recently jumped to 40, signaling the housing market is starved for affordability. And younger generations are so disappointed and frustrated by the state of the housing market they're spending more of their earnings than they're saving, working less, and making risky investments, according to a recently published paper by Northwestern University and University of Chicago researchers.
Few brands have captured the zeitgeist quite like Pink Palm Puff (PPP). With their signature embroidered hoodies and holiday pajama sets that blend cozy comfort and coastal-preppy style, PPP has exploded into a cultural staple, amassing nearly one million TikTok followers and a sprawling audience across all social platforms. Each product drop turns into a viral event, solidifying the brand's role as a bonafide pillar for originality and style in today's youth fashion landscape.
Once influenced by the brands themselves, today's cultural trends are now shaped by Gen Z. The same traits that make this generation unique - their eye for "what's next," their focus on authenticity, and their prioritization of brand values - can be pain points for brands that aren't marketing with intent. To build loyalty with Gen Z brands need to advocate meaningfully, tap into communities to stay ahead of trends, and lean on like-minded partners.
Homebuyers may experience a reprieve in 2026 as price normalization and an increase in home sales over the next year will take some pressure off the market-but don't expect homebuying to be affordable in the short run for Gen Z and young families. The "Great Housing Reset" will start next year, with income growth outpacing home-price growth for a prolonged period for the first time since the Great Recession era, according to a Redfin report released this week.
The demonstration outside the parliament building in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, on Monday afternoon was so big that it was hard to squeeze through the crowd. Although most people on the streets in Sofia were young, people of all ages were in attendance: from small children perched on their parents' shoulders to pensioners. "I never thought so many people would come out," one police officer was overheard saying to another as they stood on a small street packed with protesters near the main square.
Evans said in conversation with Beauty Inc editor in chief and WWD executive editor of beauty Jenny B. Fine. "When we talk about fandom, it really is different than just a community. The defining thing is that as fans or listeners, for your favorite music or podcast, it's how you engage with and interact with your favorite artists, podcasters and creators. So we say that Spotify is made by fans, for fans."
The $400 million deal helps Snap's Snapchat capitalize on Gen Z while exposing Perplexity to nearly a billion users. Snap is once again looking to differentiate itself from other social media platforms; this time, it's an announced partnership with Perplexity that could do the trick. Snapchat, with its nearly 1 billion users, will embed Perplexity within its app and allow people to ask questions and converse with the artificial intelligence (AI).
Differin, which produces over-the-counter gels and patches to treat acne, wanted to connect with teens experiencing breakouts for the first time. But the brand knew it needed to reach these users authentically. "We're really on a quest to ensure that we're building a relationship of trust with the next generation," said Tara Loftis, global president of skin care at Galderma, which owns a portfolio of prescription and nonprescription skin care products.
The holiday season is in full swing, but what is considered by many to be the most wonderful time of the year has become a complex maze for marketers. Brands this year are tasked not only with breaking through to cash-strapped consumers, but also understanding an advertising playbook being rewritten by Gen Z, a cohort that remains valuable but is simultaneously leading a seasonal spending decline.
