teens

Nike, Lululemon Lose A Step With Teens, While New Balance, E.L.F. Keep Gaining

 

 

Piper Sandler’s new “Taking Stock With Teens” report shows that while many brands have held their No. 1 position in their categories, no one is safe from Gen Z judgment. Nike, the perennial leader in apparel and footwear, is still the king. But it has given up 4 points year over year, with a steep decline (8 points) among girls and even steeper (11 points) among upper-income teens.

Stepping into the breach? New Balance moves up to No. 3 for affluent teens, doubling its share of mind to 8%. And Adidas is the big winner among girls, jumping to a 14% mindshare from 3% in last fall’s survey.

Lululemon maintained its No. 3 rank with 5% mindshare, down a point year over year. However, among upper-income teens, it lost 4 points.

Those shifts come as American teens say they’ve increased their annual spending to $2,361, up 4% from the spring survey and 6% compared to last fall.

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The twice-yearly report is based on responses from 13,515 U.S. teens.

Beauty is one category showing considerable shifts, with the beauty wallet reaching $342, up 6% from a year ago, and its highest level since 2018. Skincare is down 4 points, while fragrance is soaring, up 25% since last fall.

But where teens are shopping is shifting. Ulta falls to No. 2 and 27%, compared to 32% a year ago. Even Sephora (No. 1) has lost a point, while Target, which has incorporated an Ulta Beauty shop into many stores, jumped 4 points. And 85% say they prefer to make beauty purchases in stores rather than online.

Teens prefer energy drinks -- led by Monster, Red Bull, Celsius and Alani Nu -- over coffee. Goldfish are still the most in-demand snack, followed by Lays and Cheez-It.

TikTok remains at the top among social platforms, but Instagram battled back, reclaiming the second spot from Snapchat. Netflix returned to lead in daily video consumption, with a 29% share. Roblox is gaining, with active usage rising to 46% from 34% in Spring 2024. Just 17% of teens say they have never played Roblox, down from 22% six months ago.

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