Younger generations are embracing warm tones and gold accents, like those seen here in MSI’s Luxor natural stone backsplash, seen here in Kona Gold.

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As of 2020, Millennials and Generation Z account for more than 42 percent of the U.S. population, with Millennials eking past Baby Boomers for the title of the biggest generation. And with Millennials ranging from their mid-20s to early 40s and Gen Zers entering adulthood, these combined demographics make up a significant, lucrative segment of consumers. Ensuring you have not only the products these consumers are looking for, but the messaging and marketing that they respond to, is critical to your success.

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“The retail landscape for brands is experiencing generational change,” said Nicole Priem, senior director of brand experience, Mohawk. With Millennials and Gen Zers increasingly making purchases directly on social media, not to mention being heavily influenced by social media, the majority of this cohort are accustomed to searching for products on their phones — and a quick, seamless process is the expectation.

“These generations in particular want as smooth a path-to-purchase as possible with less in-person sales interaction,” said Doug Jackson, CALI president. “They also want all information to be readily available so they can do more independent shopping.”

That information can come in the form of social media posts and advertisements — Instagram and Tik Tok are especially important platforms for reaching this demographic — but what also resonates are testimonials and product reviews. “Testimonials have great value because younger shoppers are far more likely to trust other consumers over the brand’s marketing,” Jackson said. “These shoppers have greater trust in their peers (and those they perceive to be peers) than the actual seller. That’s why more social media ads feature individuals and influencers promoting the product rather than the company itself. Seeing someone like you (or someone you aspire to be) demonstrating the benefits of the product allows you to visualize using the product yourself, which is a very compelling sales strategy.”

Indeed, Millennial and GenZ consumers are digital natives who are comfortable shopping and engaging with brands online, explained Julie Beth Fisher, director of residential brand marketing at Shaw. Research shows GenZ shoppers are more likely to prefer interacting with brands both online and offline, further driving the need for a cohesive digital to in-store shopping experience. Both crave experiences and have a greater desire to purchase from brands that align with their personal values than previous generations.

“A strong digital presence, quality products/services and clearly defined brand values are how to attract Millennial and Gen Z consumers.” — Julie Beth Fisher, Shaw Industries

What They’re Buying & Why

When it comes to choosing not just products but brands and businesses to support, Millennials and Gen Zers alike are heavily influenced by their values. “They’re gravitating toward products that are more than just affordable and high-quality,” Priem said. “They’re looking for products that aren’t harmful to them or the environment, and they’re doing their research. They’re more about sustainability. They’re very conscious of the planet and our environment and buying products that are sustainable is their way to support that.”

Jenne Ross, director of marketing with Karndean, shared findings from trend forecasting company WGSN about key buying traits, which are heavily influenced by their values. “Millennials are looking for authentic, affordable and sustainable homewares; may opt to thrift instead of waiting out lead times for new products (also more sustainable); and, going through the second major recession in their lifetime. They’re looking for value beyond large purchases or more willing to DIY because they don’t have the savings to spend.” Gen Z, meanwhile, “Prioritize ethics, sustainability and inclusivity over brand name; are seeking authentic connections with brands and are willing to experiment with new brands,” Ross continued. “These generations are motivated by brands that offer purchases that aren’t just transactional — they want their purchase to serve a higher purpose and so they invest in brands that suppose mutual causes, sustainability, inclusion, etc.”

For both Millennials and Gen Zers, authenticity is important, and, said Kevin Whaley, vice president of sales and product, AHF products, “Nothing is more authentic than real hardwood.” To that end, AHF Products launched its tmbr brand last year. Geared toward Millennials in terms of position and marketing, “tmbr is designed for a generation that seeks a natural canvas which offers the décor, performance and social responsibility they desire.” Whaley continued, “tmbr is not only distinctive for its looks, but for its marketing. Millennials believe they are unique and value individualism. They don’t want the same thing everyone else has. The tmbr brand supports this with unique, story driven content and influencer marketing since for Millennials word of mouth marketing, user-generated content and social selling are much more persuasive.”

While this cohort of consumers is certainly value-driven, they do consider price and design to be top priorities, shared Emily Holle, director of trend and design, MSI. “They are into personalization and making their space special and different from their neighbors,” she said. These shoppers are embracing warmer color palettes, she added, especially those who are “too young to remember the bad shiny brass and honey/orange floors of the 80s.” These shoppers are embracing the blonde and warm gold tones that are rising in popularity, with combinations like warm wood cabinetry paired with white marble looks and earthy, natural materials in high demand. “Everlife LVT colors like Akadia, Bayhill Blonde, Runmille Isle and Sandino are great examples of the love of warm hues we are seeing. On the decorative side of our business, we are finding success in the Luxor Collection as well which has beautiful, brushed brass accents that this generation loves,” Holle added.

How To Reach Them

To be sure, Millennials and Gen Zers are active online, but the internet is an enormous place. With review sites, social media platforms and message boards galore, it’s important for retailers to know where this cohort is searching for their information — and how to get in front of them.

“Market the personalized experience the consumer gets by shopping at an independent retailer, along with the value of a professional installation — a DIY gone wrong is going to cost the consumer twice as much — combined with overall life cycle and other practical benefits of the product,” Ross suggested. “Big box stores can’t guarantee one-on-one service and for most consumers who like to see their flooring in person before purchasing, e-commerce isn’t a preferred option.”

Retailers can also promote their work and staff on social media to gain traction with these generations, she added.

“To really reach Millennials and Gen Z, mobile optimization is key. Creating an engaging, interactive experience online and on social is really important for retailers. These generations’ primary shopping experience is done on their phone, so having a robust digital media strategy is critical,” Priem said. “Ninety-seven percent of Gen Z learns about products through social media.” And as these shoppers are looking to social platforms for product discovery, which is influencing their purchasing decisions and triggering purchases both on- and offline, it’s important for retailers to make connections in an authentic way. “In order to boost engagement and build loyalty, retailers are going to have to get personal. Both generations create deep connections with the brands they buy from, and they want to feel like valued individuals.”

However, it’s important to walk the line between personalization and privacy. “The experience for them should be expected, but not creepy,” Priem continued. “You want to go so far with data and put messages out there you want them to see, but not something so deep or in an area where it’s very unexpected, or where they feel like they’re being followed. It’s an extremely fine line.”

And because authenticity is so valuable to this demographic, Priem stressed the importance of having a consistent voice across all platforms, from social media to email campaigns to your website. “This helps them build trust in a brand or retailer,” she said. “They have a nose for inauthenticity and can sniff it out quick.” She added that while younger generations get a bad rap for their short attention spans, she doesn’t agree with that assessment. “Their attention spans aren’t shorter, but they are able to make decisions much quicker than older generations,” she explained. “Within a second they can say ‘like,’ ‘don’t like.’ So being authentic is incredibly important when the customer is able to make decisions that quickly.”

AHF Products’ tmbr brand is geared towards Millennials in terms of messaging and product. Shown here is the brand’s Bixby Trail engineered hardwood.