Picture Generation Z buzzing through life with the most electric vibe out there. They’re out shopping way more often than the rest of us: grabbing that coffee, those sneakers, or the latest gadget on a whim. Sure, they might not drop bigger bucks across every category, but the rhythm of their spending? It’s frequent, it’s fierce. Retailers, take note: you can craft your entire business story around the steady stream of cash flowing from Gen Z’s pockets.
According to a global study by NielsenIQ and GfK in collaboration with Data Lab (WDL), Gen Z’s per capita spend exceeds that of their peers at the same age, driven by digital habits and ethics; they hunt for deals (79% wait for sales) but splurge on “micro-luxuries.”. The same study reveals that their purchasing power could reach $12T by 2030.
Picture Gen Z stepping up as the big spenders reshaping how we all buy, what roadblocks could slow their roll?
And with AI automating more roles in our businesses, why should we keep onboarding these young guns?
We’ve had another generation considered to have faced the most major crises during their key adult life stages. One of them hit at a crucial moment for Millennials. I’m talking about the Great Recession of 2008, right when the first Millennials were entering the job market. That’s how they earned the reputation of being “the first generation to earn less than their parents.”.
The crisis had cumulative effects on their wealth and careers. Just like with the previous generation, the overlapping economic crises combined with this new industrial revolution, which is technological, could seriously trip up Gen Z. And have the same impact it had on Millennials.
Since we’re already here, let’s take a quick look at the global wealth distribution.
Source: this article, HotNews.ro.
And now I’ll leave you with these questions: who’s going to buy that specialty coffee from your neighborhood spot, who’s going to explore vacations and getaways more often, who’s going to try the latest doughnut trend, who’s going to make other foods as iconic as sardines, who’s going to grab the latest phone model, and the list could go on? I’m sure it’s Gen Z! No Baby Boomer or GenX Forbes lister is stopping by an HR manager’s neighborhood regularly for the coffee you love too. So we need to give them the resources to shift consumer behaviors and fuel the ones that bring us all joy. Meaning, the chance to work and grow.
Source: this analysis from WWF.ro.
Where Millennials play the role of pioneers and accelerators of innovation, combining digital fluency with collaboration and a focus on social impact to transform traditional business models. They act as a bridge between generations, quickly adopting new technologies and promoting agile cultures. In “Generation Innovate,” Gen Z plays the role of disruptors and visionary executors, bringing pragmatism, courage, and native adaptability to technology to implement radical and sustainable ideas. They supercharge Millennials by doubling down on fierce autonomy, game-changing social impact, and lightning-fast innovation.
For ”Generation Innovate” to show its true potential and for us to truly live in a New World, better than the current one, the team must be complete!
Big thanks to our partners woombikes, Digital Distrikt and Puratos România for accepting our #BusinessFriendship challenge and creating real new jobs for GenZ, right when they needed them most. See you at the PR & AD Fair!
All GenZ at the start of their careers and job hunting, sign up here.
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Article written by Irina Mateescu, Active Founder, Digitalee.
What could hinder Gen Z on their journey to becoming spenders who change consumer behavior at national levels?
The very thing that sets them apart from other generations: technology. At Digitalee, I’ve been working since 2021 with a team of thinkers & builders, made up largely of Gen Z. I can tell you with certainty that the speed at which they absorb any software, platform, or device you put in front of them is faster and more fluid than any other generation. It’s no surprise that, even though the oldest members of Gen Z are only 29 right now, they already account for 31% of all influencers on Instagram. Technology helps them stand out, but it also complicates their career plans. Artificial intelligence is affecting jobs built around repetitive tasks, precisely the entry‑level roles. As we say, in Romania, grinding is the mother of all learning. By 2026, grinding has become the mother of all learning for artificial intelligence. AI is creating new jobs in fields like AI engineering, yet the people with the best chances of landing these roles are not the typical representatives of Generation Z. I’m running a digital marketing agency based in Bucharest. In our country, in 2025, 31,000 people were fired, mostly entry-level positions, due to automation and the economic recession that Romania is facing. Of these, 25,000 jobs were only in the production and IT sectors, on roles aimed at early career stages. At least in Romania, the budget deficit for the entire year of 2025 was 7.65% of GDP, below the initial target of 8.4% agreed with the European Commission. Currently, in May 2026, the latest publicly available official data are for the first three months of the year, when the deficit was 1.03% of GDP (21.09 billion lei). Romania’s annual target for 2026 is under 6-6.5% of GDP. Romanian Insider, the English version of the ZF.ro publication, and others have covered the topic extensively for both periods (e.g., here). The way our country managed to reduce the deficit was through a tandem of tax increases and spending cuts, which sparked discontent among part of the population, but especially among public sector workers. That’s why Parliament even voted for the no-confidence motion that brought down the Government. The economic situation is still a reason why job availability for students and early-career individuals is much lower than in previous years.
We’ve had another generation considered to have faced the most major crises during their key adult life stages. One of them hit at a crucial moment for Millennials. I’m talking about the Great Recession of 2008, right when the first Millennials were entering the job market. That’s how they earned the reputation of being “the first generation to earn less than their parents.”.
The crisis had cumulative effects on their wealth and careers. Just like with the previous generation, the overlapping economic crises combined with this new industrial revolution, which is technological, could seriously trip up Gen Z. And have the same impact it had on Millennials.
Since we’re already here, let’s take a quick look at the global wealth distribution.
| Generation | Birth years | Total wealth (T USD) | % from total wealth |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | ~80-100 | ~55% |
| Gen X | 1965-1980 | ~40 | ~20-25% |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | ~15-20 | ~10-15% |
| Gen Z | 1997-2012 | ~9 | ~5% |
Why should we keep hiring new generations—Gen Z—despite AI tech getting more embedded in companies?
Now let’s look again at the table above, but this time through the lens of sustainability and the resources our Planet still has left. If we truly want to live in a better world and feel it getting better during our lifetime, Gen Z + Millennials can be this team of generations working together, one we’ll call “Generation Innovate.”.| Generation | % Energy/CO2 | % Ecological footprint | % Food consumption |
| Baby Boomers | 45-50% | 40-45% | 50% |
| Gen X | 25-30% | 25% | 25-30% |
| Millennials | 15-20% | 20% | 15% |
| Gen Z | 5-10% | 10% | 5-10% |
How can you get involved if you’re an HR director, marketing leader, or Millennial entrepreneur?
Hire them! With a contract. At least a paid internship. Even part-time. You have more decision-making power than they do, and you’ll work more easily with them than with any other generation. They’ll be the first to say “Yes” to all your wild ideas. Plus, you understand their career better than anyone after 2008. You know what it means, and how many years you can wander, if you don’t get a solid start. Or if you land in a team where your skills are minimized, unappreciated, because of labels put by other generations. Find GenZ something to do that doesn’t expose them to artificial intelligence! You’ll surely invent something because you’re a Millennial from Romania. Just like you invented communication through “beeps” on mobile phones in the ’90s. To give one example.
For ”Generation Innovate” to show its true potential and for us to truly live in a New World, better than the current one, the team must be complete!
Big thanks to our partners woombikes, Digital Distrikt and Puratos România for accepting our #BusinessFriendship challenge and creating real new jobs for GenZ, right when they needed them most. See you at the PR & AD Fair!
All GenZ at the start of their careers and job hunting, sign up here.
……………………………………….
Article written by Irina Mateescu, Active Founder, Digitalee.
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