4 Easy Ways to Win Over Gen Z Shoppers Without Saying a Word

Are you losing sales because customers would rather tap than talk? GoDaddy’s new Consumer Pulse survey of 1,500 U.S. shoppers suggests you might be.

It found 54 percent of Gen Z and 50 percent of millennials would rather buy online and pick up in‑store, use self‑checkout, or stay fully online than interact with other people while shopping. Only 31 percent of Gen X and baby boomers agreed, underscoring a widening generational divide on how people prefer to shop.

Gen Z and millennials are sending retailers a clear message: let us shop, but don’t make us talk to you. Those preferences point to a broader expectation for frictionless, technology‑first shopping that could help you entice more repeat customers.

Here are four budget‑friendly moves that can help you convert the digital-first consumer into a loyal customer without blowing up your tech stack:

1. Accept the (digital) wallets they carry.

Prioritize mobile-friendly payment options at checkout. Ten percent of Gen Z shoppers already exclusively rely on their phones for in-person payments. If your point‑of‑sale (POS) device is older, it’s worth upgrading to a smart terminal that enables digital wallets and mobile payments.

Accepting digital wallets is equally as important if you also have an online store. More than half of Gen Z (54 percent) and four in 10 millennials (41 percent) have ditched a cart because a business didn’t accept digital wallets. And GoDaddy data shows businesses that use GoDaddy Payments for their online store and process transactions via Apple Pay or Google Pay have 1.5x more sales on average.*

Don’t make the mistake of underestimating how important digital wallets are to young shoppers.

2. Treat curbside like prime real estate.

Turn curbside pickup into a brand advantage. Eighty-five precent of Gen Z and 76 percent of millennials use buy online, pick up in‑store (BOPIS) at least monthly. Reserve clearly marked parking spots, send a “Tap when here” text, and post average wait times so expectations stay aligned. Every minute saved feels like VIP treatment.

3. Quiet the checkout anxiety.

Most shoppers, including two-thirds of Gen Z, say today’s POS devices make them nervous because they don’t know how to use them. If your device is capable, angle the screen toward shoppers, simplify signage around the reader to “Insert, tap or swipe,” put a sticker to indicate where customers should tap their card, and train staff to pause between transactions so no one feels rushed. A smooth checkout is the final handshake — even if no words are spoken.

4. Mobile-first means money-first: Speed up your sales.

A majority of Gen Z (70 percent) and millennial (63 percent) buyers make $150‑plus purchases on their phones. For those with an online store, or thinking about setting one up, make it as easy as possible for consumers to buy from their phones with steps like compressing images and keeping checkout to three taps, if possible.

Convenience doesn’t require a system overhaul; it’s a series of small, intentional tweaks. Make those adjustments and your store will feel friction‑free to shoppers who would rather scroll than speak — and it could lead to more profit for you.

Alex Avramenko is the head of commerce growth at GoDaddy, where he leads GoDaddy’s efforts to help entrepreneurs start, grow and scale their businesses.

* Based on newly transacting GoDaddy Websites & Marketing customers as of Q1 2025.