The majority of Gen Z – 60 per cent – and Millennial – 63 per cent – shoppers prefer to buy directly from international e-commerce brands over marketplace platforms, according to new research by the direct to consumer (DTC) e-commerce solution provider ESW.

ESW’s survey of more than 14,000 consumers across 14 countries also found that almost three quarters – 73 per cent – of Millennials and 69 per cent of Gen Z consumers believed DTC channels gave them a more personalised consumer experience and included offers and promotions specifically targeted towards their preferences, compared with 63 per cent of Gen X and 50 per cent of Baby Boomers.

Gen Z shoppers stood as the demographic with the highest percentage – 51 per cent – of cross-border shoppers across all categories.

The countries with the highest percentage of cross-border shoppers – the UAE, 66 per cent; China, 60 per cent; and South Korea (57 per cent) were also found to have the highest number of younger shoppers - indicative of the latent purchasing potential of Gen Z shoppers, ESW said.

Millennials, however, retained their position as the highest volume cross-border consumers, with 17 per cent shown to have made 11 or more international purchases a year followed closely by Gen Z at 15 per cent; Gen X at seven per cent; and Baby Boomers at five per cent.

Commenting on the results, Natasha Redfern, director of sales as ESW, said: “Younger consumers’ shopping preferences indicate that retailers and brands must adopt a robust DTC ecommerce and content strategy to remain both relevant and competitive in the future.”

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