How Gen Z are spending their time and money this summer

Oh, to be a Gen Z this summer.  

They are making fun their number one priority, and financial responsibility their last. And we love that for them.  

It's expected that around 37% are going to spend more this summer on non-essentials like travel, dining and entertainment, as compared to previous years. 

But how are they affording it? Well, while they are splurging on things like vacations, they are cutting back on things like beauty services and streaming subscriptions to be able to pay for it. 

Here’s how Gen Z are spending their summer, and how brands can meet them along the way.   

Lots of Travel  

Inflation? Gen Z aren’t worried about it. While 41% of Americans are skipping vacations this summer because money is tight, they’re saying YOLO and packing their bags.  

• 21% are planning to take an “eat pray love” soul searching trip 

• 20% are going international 

• and 24% are booking a romantic getaway 

So where are they headed? 

• Travel interest amongst this Gen Z audience is strongest in Europe - specifically Italy, Scotland, and France, showing us that they have a desire for cultural experiences but mostly they’re thinking about insta-worthy backdrops
  

• New Zealand also earned a spot amongst their top picks, showing a rising trend toward trips with a focus on nature and being active  

• Spots like Cape Cod and Ocean City are their “closer to home” go-to summer escapes 

But wherever they decide to go, 52% reported said they choose their vacation destination based on where their favourite influencers are going or based on a movie or show they’ve seen recently. I get it, this summer I am going to Sicily thanks to White Lotus season 2. And when they get there, Gen Z aren’t holding back either - research shows they plan to spend over $1000 while traveling.  

Not only that - but when we look at the Gen Z travellers audience within SOPRISM, 64% show an affinity for “First class travel”, and 29.1% for “Luxury Resorts”.   

Their total projected spend (collectively) is estimated to reach $226.6 B…whoa. How much of that do we think is going to tourist traps or overhyped TikTok restaurants? 

I know you might be wondering “how are they affording this?”. The truth is, they can’t. The Bank of America reported that Gen Z’s spending is outpacing their savings, and that they are relying on credit and BNPL platforms to fund their travel and lifestyles.  

Grab a piece of this wallet share and target this audience using our Gen Z Targeting Pack. 

Pricey Events  

Gen Z are also travelling for events like sports games and concerts. 

They are the ones fuelling the surge in event-based travel this summer. With 65% of Gen Z and 58% of Millennials planning or taking trips over 50 miles for concerts, sports, and other live events. 

Soccer is their top favourite sports event to frequent.  

37% of them spend $500-$5,000+ on event tickets, with many willing to dip into savings or take on side gigs to finance the experience. 

Although this number might surprise you, just remember back to how much people were paying for Taylor Swift’s Era’s tickets. This single handedly showed that people’s sensitivity to event ticket prices has gone down. 

And with platforms like StubHub offering AfterPay, Gen Z can buy now and worry about it later.  

The key here is that Gen Z have major FOMO around events (thanks to things like social media), and 54% say that their fear of missing out has influenced their event travel.  

The biggest and most expensive music event Gen Z will be attending this summer is Lollapalooza - scheduled for July 31st to August 3rd in Grant Park, Chicago.  

What’s interesting is that the Audiense data shows that only 24.92% of the Gen Z Lollapalooza go-ers are actually based in Chicago, meaning about 75% of the audience is traveling from elsewhere - further supporting the point about event-based travel.  

Additionally, we’re seeing 10% coming from Brazil, 8% Chile, 7% Mexico, and 4% from Argentina. These Gen Z fans are traveling internationally so their event investment probably goes way beyond the $500-$5,000 spending statistic we mentioned earlier. 

Explore the full Gen Z Lollapalooza audience here.  

Getting off the dating apps  

SOPRISM shows that 45% of Gen Z in the US are single, and loneliness rates are up. These youngsters are getting tired of being on the dating apps and are starting to feel burnt out from the endless swiping.   

In response, overall demand for dating apps amongst this age group has gone way down (especially compared to Millennials).  

What they are really craving is more meaningful interactions. The bottom line is they want to meet someone in person this summer.  

To combat this dating apps like Bumble and Tinder are investing in offline experiences and hosting in person meet ups like speed dating. And many platforms are actually rebranding themselves as social hubs where friendships, networking, and romance can all happen offline. 

What they’re wearing 

Low rise denim and flare jeans are back, yay... 

Gen Z are loving Y2K inspired fits, catch them in micro mini skirts and jorts this summer. In Pinterest trends we can see a surge in the search for 2000’s inspired outfits.   

Colour wise, we’re seeing dill green and yellow start to pop off this season, and bubble skits are also making an appearance.  

Although they might feel guilty about it, around 65% of Gen Z buy these trending styles from fast fashion brands - which checks if they’re supposed to be affording new outfits on top of all the vacations and events they’re paying for.  

When we look at this audience’s top brands in the Audiense platform, we can see that the top fast fashion brand they’re buying from this summer is H&M:   

Explore the Gen Z audience of fast fashion here. 

Cancelling their streaming service subscriptions 

Over 50% of Gen Z have cancelled a streaming service in the last 6 months and they will continue to do so.  

That doesn’t mean they won’t rejoin when a show they want to watch gets added - but for the summer they’re spending more time on TikTok and less time streaming TV and movies.  

When we use the Demand platform to assess increasing or decreasing demand for a streaming service amongst Gen Z, Amazon Prime is showing the highest demand right now and is likely the safest from churn this summer. 

Ordering in vs dining out   

 
Gen Z’ers lead the demand for third-party delivery apps, favouring services like Uber Eats and DoorDash more than any other generation. Plus, 45% prefer ordering delivery over dining out.   

Currently, DoorDash is their favourite platform to order from:  

To cater to this group, restaurants should obviously make sure they are listed on all the major delivery platforms this summer (but especially DoorDash) - additionally they should use high-quality photos, catchy menu descriptions, and promos like “$0 delivery” or “Buy 1 Get 1” to stand out.   

 "TikTok-inspired" menus, or “late night eats” specials would do well with this audience, but for more ideas check out this food delivery app audience report. 

How brands can meet Gen Z this summer 

Gen Z is choosing experiences over everything this summer (especially saving). They’re spending on everything from soul-searching trips to concert-fueled weekends and late-night food deliveries.   

If brands want to capture their attention (and wallet share), they need to show up where Gen Z already is: on TikTok, at live events, in their DMs, and on their For You Page.  

Instead of just slapping your logo on an event, think bigger. For example, 75% of Lollapalooza goers are flying into Chicago - so meet them there. Airport takeovers, hotel collabs, city-wide pop-ups… this is your moment. 

And don’t forget: they’re convenience-obsessed. With 45% preferring delivery over dining out, anything that makes their life easier (and feels a little elevated) will win. 

Influencers still matter, especially when it comes to where they travel. Partner with creators who feel real to them and match their vibe. 

Access the full Gen Z Summer Targeting pack here and be the brand they’re splurging on this summer, not the one they’re dialling back on.