Chasing young shoppers has long been job number one in fashion — but actually catching them has never been so hard. 

Part of it is just the world today, where AI is supercharging the customer journey and everything else. 

To figure out how brands can connect with Gen Z — currently in the kinetic frenzy between ages 13 and 28 — Boston Consulting Group surveyed more than 9,000 consumers, analyzed more than 50,000 social media posts and interviewed industry leaders. 

The result was the WWD x BCG Future of Fashion Report, which the consultancy broke down at the WWD Apparel and Retail CEO Summit in New York. 

While younger shoppers have always been keen on fashion, Christine Barton, managing director and senior partner and North America leader, CEO Advisory at BCG, said this generation also has the disposable income to spend on style.

“This generation has pushed off many of the milestones that your generation and my generation would’ve achieved in their 20s to their 30s,” Barton said to the C-suite-heavy crowd at the summit. “Things like the age of partnering or marrying…buying your first home.

“That means there’s much more discretionary income in this life stage than there was” for previous generations, she said. “In addition, their life stages are more subsidized by parents so they have this great discretionary income that they’re spending and they’re spending that in apparel.” 

While Gen Zers share many traits with Millennials and other older shoppers, Barton said, “Where they are different, they are very different.”

For instance, she said they use AI every day and to shop for apparel, are very brand-savvy and gravitate to brick-and-mortar stores as “the best expression of discovery and inspiration.”

“They want to discover brands fluidly and they want the convenience of transaction in some instances very close to that discovery and inspiration,” Barton said. 

Discovery is something fashion companies are pushing more than ever. 

Mrin Nayak, managing director, partner and North America leader, Fashion and Luxury at BCG, said consumers are exposed to five-times as many brands a year than they were exposed to five years ago.

Gen Z’s shopping journey is less linear and “much more of a flywheel across a series of steps like scrolling, searching, streaming and transacting,” she said.

Nayak drilled down on three insights that came out of the research that “really matter and cut through this really complex consumer journey.” 

At least building stores is something fashion has some experience with, for the rest, the industry’s going to have to learn some new tricks.