Generation Flex: How Gen Z is reshaping shopper marketing strategy

If you still think in grocery aisles, Gen Z has already moved on.

Dentsu’s Generation Flex report, covered byThe Grocer this summer, shines a light on a generation that doesn’t see categories, only possibilities. For them, protein bars can be treats, bubble teas can be pick-me-ups and sustainability isn’t a choice – it’s a given.

This isn’t chaos, it’s coherence on Gen Z’s terms. And it’s forcing food and drink brands to rethink how they connect with shoppers – in-store, online and everywhere in between.

Why Gen Z matters to food and drink brands engaging in shopper marketing

For decades, shopper marketing was built on structure. Categories defined store layouts, promotions and even agency briefs. But Gen Z doesn’t live by those lines. They mix health and indulgence, play and purpose, self-care and fun – often in the same basket.

That’s why we’re seeing “functional fun” products like vitamin chocolate like Dome or mood-boosting drinks like InTune taking off. The question is where they belong. Confectionery? Soft Drinks? Wellness? Somewhere new entirely?

Retailers are already testing the boundaries. Tesco’s wellness bays, Sainsbury’s plant-based cross-merchandising and Co-op’s ethical convenience zones are early signs of a shift to context-based retailing – grouping products by mindset, not by aisle.

The omnichannel shopper

Gen Z doesn’t separate digital from physical. They use TikTok to discover, apps to compare and the store to check what’s real. Shopper marketing can’t stop at the shelf edge anymore. It has to flow through digital influence, retail media and community.

Retail media networks are rapidly expanding because they meet this mindset head-on. But context is everything. Gen Z expects messages that fit their moment – an energy drink in a “study hacks” playlist, a snack brand linked to self-care content, not a generic promotion.

Data helps us target but authenticity keeps us there. Dentsu found that around seven in ten Gen Z shoppers will switch off if a brand feels fake about sustainability or inclusivity. If it’s not lived, don’t lead with it.

Fluid loyalty, flexible influence

Forget loyalty as we knew it. Gen Z’s loyalty is fluid. They curate brands like playlists. Relevance, novelty and social proof matter more than habit.

That’s not bad news. It’s a creative opportunity. When brands invite Gen Z to co-create – through collabs, limited editions or experiences made for sharing – they’re not just selling, they’re building community.

For this audience, belonging beats branding.

What this means for brand teams and agencies

For years, category management ruled the roost. The next era belongs to context management – designing experiences around values, feelings and lifestyles.

It’s already happening. Retailers are grouping by need states, not SKUs. Brands are creating cultural relevance and conversations instead of just buying gondola ends and FSDUs. And agencies like jellybean are adapting too – flexing briefs, blending insight with creativity and helping food and drink brands keep pace with shoppers who change faster thanplanograms.

Gen Z isn’t breaking the rules of shopping. They’re rewriting them. And for those of us in shopper marketing, it’s a chance to reimagine how we inspire, convert and earn attention in a world without categories.

Sources: Dentsu Generation Flex white paper (2025); The Grocer, August 2025. All trademarks acknowledged. Figures indicative unless otherwise stated.