Teen Shopping Habits

With “mall rat” officially part of the Canadian vernacular, it’s not surprising that shopping malls top the list of where both female and male Teens hang out and shop. Teens also shop in numerous other venues, including discount stores, convenience stores, grocery stores, and more. But as per this observation paper I elected to head to the renowned Fairview mall to see what I can find in teen shopping habits and trends and how they vary between genders. I think that as the age goes up, so does the percentage of Teens who shop in malls. With seventeen million strong, the Teen market is a force to be reckoned with here in Canada. Teens are active consumers in terms of the money they spend, as well as in the influence they wield in their families and on societal trends. Despite being raised in a period of rapid change, they display a remarkable self-confidence in their judgment. Having two younger brothers and cousins in that age group I speak from personal experience when I say that teens do their research prior to making large purchases because they want to make informed decisions and are particular about what they buy. They also are influenced with the price of the items they buy. Teens have more disposable incomes than other demographics as most teens don't have other expenses like mortgage payments, student loan payments or other debts to pay, this income is thought of as disposable. In shopping terms, disposable income is another way of saying 'spendable' income.

Having been at the mall for the better part of three hours I found that purchasing preferences of today’s teens seem to center around a handful of brands such as Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch, Forever 21, west 49, Old Navy, American Eagle, Urban Outfitters, and Bench. Teen male and teen female shopping behaviors differ significantly but in many ways, male and female teens behave alike. Both genders shop in packs, spend a significant amount of their time browsing the mall and are influenced by