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Gen BuY: How Tweens, Teens and Twenty-Somethings Are Revolutionizing Retail
Discover the forces driving the decisions of today's most sought after consumers According to recent statistics, members of Generation Y shop 25 percent to 40 percent more than the average consumer. In Gen BuY , Yarrow and O'Donnell argue that these voracious and fearless consumers have revolutionized the way Americans shop by turning traditional sales and marketing strategies upside down. Based on solid research, the book offers an in-depth look at what motivates these young people to buy certain products and reject others. The authors reveal what makes these consumers tic-how they define power, why they loath manipulation, and why they rely on technology-and show marketers how they can tap into the buying power of this burgeoning group of consumers. Gen Buy is a must-have resource for marketers, advertisers, retailers, and manufacturers who want to understand the new generation of consumers.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
10 people are currently reading
118 people want to read
About the author
Kit Yarrow
3 books5 followersKit Yarrow, Ph.D., is a consumer psychologist who is obsessed with all things related to how, when, and why we shop and buy. She conducts research through her professorship at Golden Gate University and shares her findings in speeches, and consulting work.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 28, 2021
Well researched and interesting. It was neat to read this over 10 years after the release so we can really see how my generation has changed retial.
February 4, 2011
Maybe I'm alone in this, but I don't actually love reading gross oversimplifications and generalizations about my generation with the sole purpose of convincing me to increase my consumption. The authors repeatedly mention how much research they conducted for this book, but it seemed like the same few "revelations" trotted out over and over again. Not much new.
Here are some snippets:
"Gen Yers have known only one world--one in which they can get what they want when they want it."(10)
"Once the most likely villain in the movies was a Communist, monster, or alien--today it's a white businessman."(10)
"Along with their doting parents and the power of the Internet, they benefit from the fact that today's society clearly values what belongs to their generation alone: youth."(13)
"We've heard from a number of Gen Yers that being told that they can have it all and do anything makes it hard for them to feel like anything other than perfection (in a mate, in a job, in themselves) is good enough."(17)
"Lisa, a twenty-eight-year-old systems specialist who grew up in Connecticut, says that she feels really conflicted about her spending values. 'On the one hand, I don't know if I'll ever be able to save enough money to buy a home, and I really resent that it was easier for my parents' generation. On the other hand, I eat out in restaurants at least twice a week. My parents eat in restaurants for special occasions. What I spend on a weeknight dinner with my husband would be a special occasion for my parents. They sacrificed, and I've just never done that.'
Ally, twenty-nine, of San Francisco, concurs with a story of her own: 'When my parents celebrated their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary my dad gave Mom a Rolex, and it was such a big thing. My roommate's boyfriend gave her a Rolex when they'd dated like six months! I mean, where do you go from there?'"(71)
Here are some snippets:
"Gen Yers have known only one world--one in which they can get what they want when they want it."(10)
"Once the most likely villain in the movies was a Communist, monster, or alien--today it's a white businessman."(10)
"Along with their doting parents and the power of the Internet, they benefit from the fact that today's society clearly values what belongs to their generation alone: youth."(13)
"We've heard from a number of Gen Yers that being told that they can have it all and do anything makes it hard for them to feel like anything other than perfection (in a mate, in a job, in themselves) is good enough."(17)
"Lisa, a twenty-eight-year-old systems specialist who grew up in Connecticut, says that she feels really conflicted about her spending values. 'On the one hand, I don't know if I'll ever be able to save enough money to buy a home, and I really resent that it was easier for my parents' generation. On the other hand, I eat out in restaurants at least twice a week. My parents eat in restaurants for special occasions. What I spend on a weeknight dinner with my husband would be a special occasion for my parents. They sacrificed, and I've just never done that.'
Ally, twenty-nine, of San Francisco, concurs with a story of her own: 'When my parents celebrated their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary my dad gave Mom a Rolex, and it was such a big thing. My roommate's boyfriend gave her a Rolex when they'd dated like six months! I mean, where do you go from there?'"(71)
August 9, 2011
I'm not a Gen Yer unfortunately. By definition, I was born 4 years too early. And it seems, 4 years is a wider gap than I thought.
Illuminating is how I judge this book as it describes the American Gen Yers so clearly. I must admit that the American Gen Yers are far more sophisticated than other Gen Yers across the globe. I mean, how can a flashlight be an essential item for prom?.....sigh, only in America.
The authors described how retailers are bending over backwards to cater to this group. One example, the Urban Outfitters and their snazzy outlets. The problem that I have with this is that, I think it's all very gimmicky and can easily be copied by their competitors. Therefore, it will no longer be a point of difference. So, then what?
As someone in the 'persuasion' business, I have often wondered why brands are jumping on to the Social Marketing/Web 2.0 bandwagon without truly understanding how it is being used. I've always believed that if you're gonna do something, then do it right and for the right reasons.
But the writers said something that has changed my mind. Either do it (even though it might not be 100% precise) or risk being irrelevant. With this crowd and their speed-of-light wants and habits, it's now an imperative.
Illuminating is how I judge this book as it describes the American Gen Yers so clearly. I must admit that the American Gen Yers are far more sophisticated than other Gen Yers across the globe. I mean, how can a flashlight be an essential item for prom?.....sigh, only in America.
The authors described how retailers are bending over backwards to cater to this group. One example, the Urban Outfitters and their snazzy outlets. The problem that I have with this is that, I think it's all very gimmicky and can easily be copied by their competitors. Therefore, it will no longer be a point of difference. So, then what?
As someone in the 'persuasion' business, I have often wondered why brands are jumping on to the Social Marketing/Web 2.0 bandwagon without truly understanding how it is being used. I've always believed that if you're gonna do something, then do it right and for the right reasons.
But the writers said something that has changed my mind. Either do it (even though it might not be 100% precise) or risk being irrelevant. With this crowd and their speed-of-light wants and habits, it's now an imperative.
May 21, 2010
Yarrow, professor of marketing and psychology at Golden Gate University, and O'Donnell, a retail and automotive reporter for USA Today, share the results of their extensive research (including focus groups in several cities across the country) into the buying habits of those born after 1979.
I liked that they distinguished between older (20-something) and younger(teen and tween) members of Gen Y, because that's a distinction I think is very true and not always recognized. They clearly did a lot of research (whether it was reading other people's work or conducting focus groups of their own), but I wonder if the story their research told could have been more developed? I kept waiting for some sort of shocking conclusion from all this research and it never came. I'm not sure if that's a failing of the book or my expectations.
While this book is full of observations, it's short on conclusions. Or maybe it's just that being a member of Gen Y, I already knew a lot of the information presented in this book because it's part of how my friends and I shop. Either way I found the book very readable, but not nearly as enlightening as I had hoped.
September 22, 2009
Right off the bat, I'm going to admit to not reading the additional essays that followed the book. I chose not to because at this point I was full up on information about the spending/buying habits of the groups mentioned in the book.
On the other hand, the book was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. It kept my attention long enough to finish the book minus the short essays at the end. Especially interesting was how the authors used data and facts and combined them with interviews and quotes from real-life tweens and teens (and their parents)and 20-somethings (as well as store buyers and the like) to make this a more in-depth look at shopping.
Definitely not a beach read, but a welcome change from my regular fiction choices..
On the other hand, the book was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. It kept my attention long enough to finish the book minus the short essays at the end. Especially interesting was how the authors used data and facts and combined them with interviews and quotes from real-life tweens and teens (and their parents)and 20-somethings (as well as store buyers and the like) to make this a more in-depth look at shopping.
Definitely not a beach read, but a welcome change from my regular fiction choices..
July 1, 2011
"Gen BuY: How Tweens, Teens and Twenty-Somethings Are Revolutionizing Retail" is a very informative book. I would definitely recommend it to any businessperson who has a product or service that is being sold to Gen-Y customers. I also recommend it to any person who wants to learn how companies are using technology to market to potential customers. Furthermore, the authors of the book list many cool websites and apps, making it a useful book for consumers of all ages (especially parents with Gen-Y children.)
April 17, 2010
Thin study of the millennial generation. Some interesting reporting on how various retailers are adapting to Generation Y, but the authors spend a lot of time harping on how the Yers are idealistic, tuned to technology, and determined to Keep It Real. All of which is true, but it was also true for the Xers, the Baby Boomers, and every teenager I can think of back to Romeo, Juliet, and Arthur Pendragon. Don Tapscott had the same theme, but he had a lot more interesting things to say about it.
December 13, 2009
Some interesting research, but a lot of it is repetitive. I read about lingerie in this book multiple times and how important it is. One plus for this title vs so many others of this ilk - it distinguishes that there is a significant difference in "Gen Y" from those over 21 and those under. We are different worlds.
February 10, 2010
Awesome book- a good dose of insight into teens, their surrounding influences (current pop culture, internet etc.) and how these influences are changing misconceptions of the next big wave of consumer behaviors.
August 15, 2011
I just finished this - wish I'd read it when it came out. Some of the marketing tips are getting old but the first part on how Gen Y acquired their particular taste and love of shopping were fantastic. I thought it was an insightful book and I recommend it.
January 11, 2010
very informative.
learned a lot about the youth i'm always fascinated with,
and a little about myself too!
learned a lot about the youth i'm always fascinated with,
and a little about myself too!
January 22, 2010
Interesting, but information readily available were I to ask my Gen Y BF the same questions.
July 26, 2011
Fascinating look at Gen Y and the cultural influences and inner workings of teen psychology and buy-ology.
June 19, 2012
Very interesting read. A lot of great insight into Generation Y and the future of marketing. Can get repetitive, but a quick read.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews