FASHION FUTURES

GENERATION ALPHA Generation Alpha includes members born between the year 2010 and until the year 2025. By the time they have all been born (in 2025) there will be almost 2 billion members making this generation the largest in history, according to Mark McCrindle, the Australian social analyst who coined the term “Generation Alpha. As the oldest members are only just aged between 11 and 12 it’s down to researchers to characterise the new generation of consumers. We can predict that they will be a more culturally diverse generation, socioeconomics (slightly wealthier), will have smaller family sizes and will have longer life expectancies (Carter, 2021).

Although we don’t know a great amount about this generation yet we can predict a few things about them by analysing the demographics.

However, we do know that they are linked to their millennial parents.

Due to this generation alpha members are often referred to as “mini millennials”. Generation alpha are seen to be influenced by millennials and their brand loyalties, however they also have their own goals and values. Generation alpha will develop similar preferences as their millennial parents as it’s all they know from an early age. It is expected that generation alpha will have brand loyalties, passed down from their parent’s beloved brands. Generation alphas already stand out from Gen Z in their worldliness, brand awareness and influence over household spending. Brands will need to understand generation alpha’s lifestyles, values and self concepts. Generation will be confident, savvy and curious. “They can send a trending hashtag, they can start a social media campaign and bring about change,” says McCrindle, who published a book on Generation Alpha this year. “They’ve seen that in their own experience, in #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter.”

7