They like to go to the supermarket after class to buy a snack, often meet at McDonald's and focus their purchases on a few brands.
A study conducted after 50,000 adolescents by Pixpay, a banking service for young users, points to some consumption trends among these young French people aged ten to eighteen.
Read also: For the French, the recovery rhymes with consumption
McDonald's, king of brands
By studying the behavior of these young users, PixPay was able to paint a robot portrait of the adolescent consumer. McDonald's, Aliexpress, Shein, Amazon, Monoprix, in the top 5 for girls, and PlayStation, Apple, Google, McDonald's, Amazon for boys: some big brands carry the ranking. Also, 20% of transactions by adolescents are concentrated at twelve merchants. "
There is a hypersensitivity to brands particularly for 10-15 year olds,"
explains psychologist Laurence Peltier
. During this period, adolescents have a strong need for recognition and belonging to a group, which explains the appeal of brands. After 15 years, they will more want to differentiate themselves, with a burst of the brands towards which they are heading.
"
In terms of the number of purchases, McDonald's is unsurprisingly the leader in the ranking, with transactions generally around 10 euros. For the first places, it is Amazon which records the highest average transaction, at more than 18 euros. Overall, Shein, who offers low-cost clothing, recorded the highest average transaction in the ranking, at 26 euros. But in the end, it is the supermarkets that attract the largest share of spending, nearly a third, often spent at lunchtime or after school leaves.
Comes after fast food, with over 13% of spending.
"
The predominance of fast food is explained by the fact that it is a financially accessible place and a place of sociability which allows the meeting between the sexes, one of the challenges of adolescence
", analyzes Laurence Peltier.
Budgets remain tight in any case, with 56 euros spent per month, distributed on average around six transactions.
Read also: Pinned consumer credit sites
Towards more virtuous behavior?
This explains the somewhat degraded consumer behavior, and the attraction that brands like Zara or Shein still have, despite the lack of durability of these clothes. "
Young people show a desire to consume better but they are constrained by their small budgets,"
continues the psychologist
. Suddenly, it is difficult for them to follow through on their convictions. Ephemeral fashion, for example, still occupies a large part of their spending. It has to do with the fact that fashion goes fast, which fuels the need for updating among teenagers.
"
“
We sometimes have the impression that behavior will not change
,” corroborates Caroline Menager, co-founder of Pixpay.
Afterwards, it is important to understand early what it is to consume and to have the keys to understand what it is to consume well.
""
It is important that parents pay attention to their children's expenses,
explains Laurence Peltier.
And not just to coerce them but to think with them and avoid compulsive consuming behaviors.
"