Younger shoppers aren’t just buying more—they’re also losing patience faster. In 2025, bad delivery means lost trust and lost customers.
The ecommerce goldmine isn’t Boomers—it’s your pissed-off 28-year-old waiting on her package.
Younger shoppers are spending more—and losing patience faster
Ecommerce growth is cooling off. The post-COVID sugar high is gone, and retail execs are waking up to a new hangover: slower growth, tighter margins, and a consumer that’s far more demanding.
But there’s still one demographic pulling their weight: consumers under 35. According to Descartes’ latest ecommerce study, 43% of under 35s increased their online spend in the past year. Only 32% of Boomers can say the same.
These younger buyers are buying more frequently, too—44% are checking out at least every two weeks, up from 33% last year.
They’re the engine of ecommerce in 2025. And they’re mad as hell about delivery.
Who’s actually driving ecommerce growth?
| Age Group | % Increased Online Spend (YoY) | % Buy Online Every 2 Weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | 43% | 44% |
| 35–64 | 35% | 38% |
| Over 65 | 32% | 36% |
| Overall | 36% | 42% |
💡 Insight: Under 35s are buying more and more frequently than any other age group. This is your revenue engine.
79% of under 35s have experienced delivery issues
Let’s talk about the trust gap.
Descartes found that 79% of under 35s had delivery problems in the last three months. That’s a full 13 points higher than the average, and a massive 26 points higher than over-65s.
Here’s what’s pissing them off:
- 📦 26% got packages way later than expected
- ⏰ 25% got deliveries at the wrong time
- 📍 19% had packages dumped in unsecured locations
- ❌ 15% said their delivery never arrived at all
Younger shoppers are also 20% more likely to give up returning items because of delivery friction. And only 11% of them are “always satisfied” with their delivery experience. Yikes.
Top delivery issues by age group (last 3 months)
| Delivery Problem | Under 35 | Over 65 | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arrived much later than expected | 26% | 19% | 22% |
| Wrong delivery time | 25% | 16% | 20% |
| Damaged package | 22% | 10% | 16% |
| Delivery didn’t arrive at all | 15% | 10% | 12% |
| Package left in unsecure location | 19% | 14% | 17% |
| Delivery slots lacked flexibility | 13% | 3% | 8% |
💡 Insight: If your delivery is late, broken, or dropped on a porch—under 35s will remember. And they won’t forgive quietly.
The catch: These shoppers are also the most valuable
Retailers might shrug at Gen Z TikTok drama, but here’s what they can’t ignore: under 35s offer the highest lifetime customer value of any age group.
This generation isn’t window shopping—they’re growing into their peak earning years and forming long-term brand habits. Screw up their delivery now, and you’re not just losing a sale—you’re flushing future profits.
Plus, younger consumers don’t just suffer in silence. They:
- 🔊 Post complaints on social (15%)
- 🚫 Tell friends to avoid your brand (20%)
- ❌ Stop ordering from you altogether (23%)
Operator POV: Fix delivery, or lose the customer for life
This isn’t about offering drone deliveries or virtue-signaling with carbon offsets. It’s about reliability and flexibility. And it’s costing retailers real money.
As acquisition costs spike and growth slows, fulfillment is no longer just ops—it’s brand reputation. You could nail the ad, price, and product—but one missed package and it’s game over.
Here’s what top operators should be asking:
- Are we setting realistic delivery windows with smart routing?
- Can we offer flexible delivery slots for working, urban buyers?
- Do we understand delivery personas (cost-conscious vs. speed-seeking)?
- Can we consolidate neighborhood deliveries to boost density and reduce costs?
Retailers need to stop treating delivery like a backend afterthought and start treating it like the final stage of conversion.
Consequences of bad delivery for under 35s
| Action Taken After Bad Delivery | Under 35 | Over 65 |
|---|---|---|
| Lost trust in retailer | 23% | 19% |
| Did not order from retailer again | 21% | 13% |
| Told friends/family to avoid the retailer | 20% | 7% |
| Posted dissatisfaction on social media | 15% | 6% |
| Gave up on returning goods | 20% | 6% |
💡 Insight: Gen Z doesn’t just complain—they convert dissatisfaction into lost revenue and brand damage. At scale.
So what?
Gen Z and Millennial buyers are buying more and expecting better. The ecommerce operators who win in 2025 won’t be the ones with the biggest ad budget—they’ll be the ones who treat delivery like a growth channel.
If you’re losing customers at the doorstep, it doesn’t matter how good your funnel is. Fix your fulfillment game—or someone else will.
