When Gen Z and Millennial shoppers spend on Valentine’s Day gifts in 2025, ecommerce trends show these young shoppers won’t necessarily opt for the same omnichannel, delivery and fulfillment options that their older peers select. The National Retail Federation predicts record Valentine’s Day spending this year. With consumers ready to spend $27.5 billion on Valentine’s Day gifts and outings, according to the NRF, smart online retailers are already prepared.
For starters, take a look at the rise in buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS) orders in the 2020s. 2024’s Omnichannel Report from Digital Commerce 360 found that 78.3% of retail chains in the Top 1000 Database offered BOPIS to customers, up from 73.3% just three years prior.
Omnichannel and delivery preferences among Gen Z shoppers
Findings from Digital Commerce 360’s 2024 Omnichannel Report
Which generations are powering that BOPIS growth? Ahead of the 2024 holidays, a PwC survey found that while 89% of Baby Boomers planned to use home delivery for their holiday shopping, 49% of Gen Z shoppers and 48% of Millennials expected to choose in-store pickup. That’s good news for online merchants with physical stores, which they can leverage during seasonal spikes.
And PwC wasn’t alone in observing that younger generations are more likely to choose digital convenience with physical retail in the mix as well. The gift-focused retailer Edible, which has delivery partnerships with DoorDash and Uber Eats, found that 30% of its Gen Z customers preferred to visit physical stores. Somia Farid Silber, the CEO at Edible Brands, told Digital Commerce 360 that this trend is emboldening Edible to open new stores in 2025, even as it expands digital options. Edible has seen demand for its store increase by 10% among the Gen Z cohort post-pandemic.
Demand for fast delivery
Meanwhile, when Gen Z shoppers do select delivery for their gifting, they want it fast.
In 2024, Digital Commerce 360 and Saddle Creek Logistics Services conducted a survey of 1,000 shoppers. That survey found that Gen Z was the only cohort to prioritize delivery time over cost. Moreover, Gen Z was the most likely cohort to select one- or two-day delivery with a response rate of 41%.
38% checked same-day delivery as an option they like to use. In that context, it should come as no surprise that DoorDash, Instacart, Uber Eats and similar services have been expanding their families of partners over the past year. Their next-generation customer base may be at stake.
📧 Editor’s note: This is the first in a weekly series Digital Commerce 360 is running about the trends defining ecommerce for online retailers. Subscribe to our retail newsletter to make sure you see every update.
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