Study Shows How Millennials Breathe Life into Retail
Millennials are breathing life into retail brands, according to new research from The Harris Poll. Compared to older generations, millennials award higher brand equity to all retail categories assessed, except hardware and home stores, which is favored by baby boomers. The Harris Poll’s 29th annual EquiTrend Study, which measures brand health over time, reveals the strongest brands across the media, travel, financial, automotive, entertainment, retail, restaurant, technology, household and nonprofit industries, based on consumer response.
According to the research, while brand equity in the retail category has held steady over time, a different pattern emerges when millennials are singled out versus baby boomers. Sporting goods store brand equity is 7.7 points higher among millennials compared to baby boomers, while luxury department stores (+5.6) and electronics stores (+5.7) are nearly 6 points higher. Millennials’ brand equity score for off-price retailers is 4.9 points higher compared to baby boomers, while footwear and department stores are 4 points and 3.8 points higher, respectively. Only hardware and home stores (-3.8) have lower brand equity among millennials compared to baby boomers.