Who doesn’t like shopping? Everyone does! A new addition to the wardrobe, a new pair of shoes, a new mobile – anything new is always welcome. People of almost every age group love to make purchases. How can teens be left behind?

Let’s have a look at the teen shopping sprees…

Any young person between the age group thirteen to nineteen, is considered a teen. Teenage is that transitional age from childhood to adulthood. It is a time of disorientation and discovery, an age where teenagers crave for independence and self-identity.

Teens go through dramatic changes in all spheres – they think abstractly, rely a lot on the tastes and preferences of friends, fight for more independence, have conflicting differences  with parents, trying to establish their own identities, and preparing for adulthood, and pose as challenges for parents.

The influence of Social Media is vast in this area too. Teens base their purchases on products advertised on nets. Being tech savvy, and also a little lethargic, teens today dwell on online products – waiting for offers – checking prices, and going by the ratings and reviews. They bask in the glory of visiting websites targeted at teens, and spend a lot of money andtime on this. Sites like Amazon, Flip kart etc. have become a rave with teens today. They greatly rely on Facebook and YouTube for decisions related to their purchases

Teens believe in fad. They love shopping for apparels, hanging out in malls with friends. Teens have more disposable income: They do not have responsibilities to shoulder, and enjoy a free life. So their spending power on themselves is selfishly more.

A few teens value their personal image; they try to look fashionable, trendy and attractive. Teens, especially girls spend on parlors; clothes, make-up kits, spas and the like.

The 3 Ps – Passion, Peer Pressure and Popularity define their buying habits.

• Passion: They vest all their money on things that interest them, it could be a camera, an iPod, a mobile, sneakers, anything – ranging from a laptop to a Labrador, and their choice varies. They shop for recreation, for fun. A few serious teens do buy journals, and join coaching centers, or rent books.

• Peer Pressure: Teens rely on the feedback of their peers, and purchase depending on the peer taste. The opinions of friends hold a heavy influence on teen buying behavior. To girls, peer approval is always imperative. Girls love visiting malls with friends and still prefer brick-and-mortar locations.

• Popularity: Popularity in three aspects:

1. Popularity of brand names – Brands like Nike, Levis, Revlon, Lakme, and Apple phones etc.
2. Celeb popularity: Teens get smitten by the latest trends followed by their icons – celebrities and blindly follow them. There have been dresses and sarees in the names of heroines, or movies too, and have been in vogue.
3. To gain popularity in their group, amongst their peers, to be complimented as the Icon – as the most trendy person.

Do teens think economically? Do they bargain? Yes, they do. Teens are smart, not as naïve. They have limited pocket money, so teens are economical, trying to weigh pros and cons of the items they purchase. The aftermath of recession has led teens to turn value-conscious.

Merchants / Advertisers entice teens:Earlier, teens were not given much importance by advertisers. All the products centered on families. Now, advertisers have become smart. They cater to this segment of the society, and center around teen tastes. They announce offers on trendy clothing, for instance, for they know, teens would flock the malls.  The teen shoppers buy the latest fashions and gadgets. Advertisers have realized that brand loyalty can start at a pretty young age, and hence, they do a lot of publicity for teens.

Teens and brand image: Teens follow teens. We find teens in almost every advertisement – soft drinks, chocolates, pizzas, burgers, shoes, clothes, watches, gadgets, movie manias, holiday resorts, mobile and internet schemes, even optical, lenses etc. – the list is endless. Teens are definitely brand conscious but cannot be considered really brand loyal.

Another vista that is ever green for teens is food: Teens love hanging out with friends in food joints, cafes, the reason for the mushrooming growth of fast food centers, pizza corners, café shops, etc., Teens have now stopped going to ordinary theatres – to them it is Multiplexes and the extravagant popcorn and soft drink combos, rather than the samosas of an ordinary theatre, the Cappuccino’s and Latte’s, rather than an ordinary tea or “Chai”. They revel in the extravaganza.

Teens love social experience, and hence spend on sharing and fun such as going for movies with friends, hanging out at restaurants with music playing, shopping in groups. Teens enjoy going for matches with friends, the fun and experience so large, that it deprecates the cost of the ticket.

With the selfie craze going rampant, the spending on smartphones with extra features is also on the rise. Teens are savvy shoppers. Teens love spending on smartphones, mainly to gain access to net – this proves the craze for iPhones.

Celebrations: Days like Valentine’s Day, friends birthdays, are of paramount importance to teens and they don’t think twice before spending on such goodies. It is the merchants who gain because of teen craze – a heart shaped key chain, pillow, a pink teddy, and chocolatescan cost a fortune and teens go gaga over these.

Shopping preferences amongst teens:Clothing, Bags, Shoes, Fashion, Entertainment, Food and drink, Electronic gadgets, Gifts for friends, Imitation Jewelryand the like.

Teenagers want to be the latest in fashions and technology. Teens do utilize e-Commerce.

Thus, it can be summed up that Teen shoppers are that segment of the society that cannot be ignored nor their buying power, against all odds, cannot be underestimated.