Retail

As marketers, we have to be where our audience is. And if you're still running Facebook ads expecting to engage Gen Z in the U.S., you're already behind.

📉 Facebook’s Gen Z Exodus:
Gen Z is leaving traditional social media. In the U.S., Facebook's 12-34-year-old user base shrank from 58% in 2015 to just 29% in 2019 (Wikipedia). But there’s a twist…

📦 Facebook Marketplace is Thriving:
While young users are abandoning the Facebook news feed, they’re still shopping on Marketplace. 49% of social media shoppers turn to Facebook Marketplace when they’re ready to buy (CNBC).

Why? Because it offers something they actually want: local, sustainable, peer-to-peer commerce. This same expectation for community, connection, and commerce is already influencing Amazon and physical retail.

💡 Where Is Gen Z Shopping Now?

Gen Z isn’t rejecting digital experiences—they’re ditching social platforms that don’t serve them. Instead, they’re flocking to community-driven marketplaces like:

🛍️ Depop – Over 35M users, with Gen Z dominating the space. Now the 10th most visited shopping platform for Gen Z in the U.S.

🎨 Etsy – 70% of Gen Z prefers to buy from smaller, unique brands instead of big-box retailers (Statista).

📍 OfferUp – With 90M app downloads and 20M monthly active users, OfferUp is becoming a Gen Z resale go-to.

📦 Facebook Marketplace – Even as Gen Z ditches traditional Facebook, they still shop on Marketplace because it’s local, convenient, and sustainable.

🏬 The New Retail Playbook: Blending Digital + IRL

But here’s what most marketers are missing—this isn’t just about digital. Gen Z wants omnichannel experiences that blend digital with in-person engagement (PYMNTS):

🔄 Omnichannel Commerce – Gen Z expects seamless experiences between online & in-store. Brands integrating their digital and physical footprints will win.

📹 Live Shopping – In-store and online live demos, styling tips, and Q&A formats create real-time engagement and drive purchasing behavior.

🎭 Retail as Experience – The future of physical retail isn’t just about transactions—it’s about experiences, community events, and real-world brand engagement.

🔥 Are We in a Classifieds Renaissance?

Yes, but classifieds have evolved. They now deliver what Gen Z craves: connection, sustainability, and direct commerce.

💰 Digital classifieds hit $21B in revenue in 2022 (Wikipedia).
🏡 Platforms like Rightmove now rival traditional media in value (Financial Times).
📢 Investment in modern classifieds is rising as Gen Z shifts behaviors (The Australian).

💡 What This Means for Marketers

If Gen Z is leaving traditional social media but thriving in marketplaces and omnichannel retail, we need to adapt—or risk irrelevance.

✅ Leverage AI for Hyper-Personalization – TikTok’s algorithm-driven content keeps users hooked. Are you using AI to deliver intuitive, tailored shopping experiences?

✅ Meet Them in Marketplaces – Why force Facebook ads when Gen Z is already engaging on Etsy, Depop, OfferUp, and Facebook Marketplace? Look at partnerships, UGC, and influencer commerce.

✅ Champion Sustainability & Purpose – 75% of Gen Z prefers buying from brands that care about sustainability (First Insight). If your brand isn’t aligned with their values, they’re not buying from you.

✅ Community > Ads – Traditional digital ads don’t work the same way anymore. Gen Z wants interactive experiences, peer recommendations, and brand transparency.

🔥 The takeaway? This isn’t about “social” anymore—it’s about commerce, community, and connection. The brands that seamlessly integrate where Gen Z already shops and engages will win.

Are you rethinking how to reach Gen Z? Drop your thoughts below! ⬇️

#GenZMarketing #EcommerceTrends #SustainableShopping #RetailInnovation #AIinMarketing #CommunityEngagement #Marketplaces #ConsumerBehavior #MarketingStrategy #GrowthMarketing

Amazon has announced a game-changing expansion: retailers can now use Amazon's advertising tools directly on their own online stores! 🛍️ This bold move underscores Amazon’s commitment to its fastest-growing and most lucrative segment: advertising. Far from a simple pivot, it’s a masterstroke that leverages Amazon’s strengths in ad tech and first-party data while addressing slower growth in traditional segments like online and physical stores.

💡 Why Advertising is the Focus

Amazon’s revenue breakdown paints a clear picture of its growth strategy:

Online Stores: 40.3%
Third-party Seller Services: 24.4%
Amazon Web Services (AWS): 15.8%
Advertising: 8.2% (fastest-growing 🚀)
Subscription Services: 7.0%
Physical Stores: 3.5%
Other: 0.9%

While Online Stores—once the foundation of Amazon’s empire—are slowing, high-margin areas like Advertising, AWS, and Subscription Services are thriving. 📈 Advertising, in particular, has delivered consistent double-digit growth, becoming a cornerstone of Amazon’s future.

By letting retailers use its ad tools, Amazon takes a logical step toward solidifying its role as a dominant ad-tech player, rivaling Google and Meta in scope and ambition.

📊 Strategic Benefits

🌐 Expanding Beyond Amazon.com

Amazon can now monetize e-commerce activity across the broader internet. This transforms the company from an e-commerce titan into a digital advertising powerhouse, expanding its influence far beyond its own platform.

🚀 Capitalizing on the Retail Media Boom

Retail media networks are surging as companies monetize first-party data. Amazon is already a leader in this space, and extending its tools ensures it remains the go-to platform for performance-driven advertisers.

⚖️ Offsetting Slower-Growth Segments

With Online Stores and Physical Stores delivering slower growth, high-margin advertising offers a scalable and future-proof counterbalance.

🔒 Owning the First-Party Data Advantage

In a privacy-first world, first-party data is gold. Amazon’s tools empower retailers to harness this resource effectively, reinforcing Amazon’s dominance while benefiting advertisers and consumers alike.

⚠️ Challenges to Watch

🤔 Retailer Hesitation: Will retailers trust Amazon, a potential competitor, with their ad strategies?
🛠️ Execution Complexity: Integrating these tools across diverse platforms could pose technical and operational challenges.
⚔️ Competitive Pushback: Expect players like Shopify and Meta to respond with innovations or partnerships to counter Amazon’s move.

🌟 Why This Matters

Amazon’s focus on advertising isn’t just about growth—it’s a reflection of its ability to adapt and thrive. With this move, Amazon is stepping into the $600 billion digital advertising market, proving once again that it’s more than an e-commerce giant; it’s a transformative force in ad tech and data-driven innovation.

This isn’t just a new revenue stream—it’s a blueprint for how businesses can evolve to lead in a rapidly shifting landscape. 🌍📈

What do you think—are we witnessing the next chapter in retail media dominance? Share your thoughts below! 👇

Category: Retail

🚀 Amazon’s Next Move: Expanding Ad Tools to Retailers