Gen Z drives fashion, beauty e-sales

NEW DELHI: Around half of India’s online fashion and beauty shoppers are now Gen Z, and platforms are rapidly realigning to keep pace. Significantly, the cohort also boasts 1.5x the e-retail spend share on categories such as lifestyle, beauty, and electronics compared to other age groups, driving growth in a market that has more than doubled over five years to $66 billion in gross merchandise value, Bain & Co data showed.Online platforms, including Amazon, Nykaa, Myntra and Shein, as well as consumer brands are sharpening their strategies around this cohort’s fast-evolving tastes and high-engagement behaviour. At Amazon Fashion, the shift is visible with Gen Z’s share surging to 52% from about 30% two years ago, according to its director, Nikhil Sinha. Beyond penetration, engagement across browsing, visits and transactions is up two-and-half times YoY, he told TOI.A significant chunk of the growth and engagement is now coming from tier 2 and tier 3 cities. “Gen Z (shopper) growth in tier 2 and 3 cities is happening at twice the rate compared to the rest of the country. Customers in cities such as Indore, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Kochi, Nagpur, Jaipur and Surat now have access to the same global trends, creators and content as customers in metros like Mumbai or Bengaluru,” Sinha added.For Myntra too, Gen Z accounts for nearly half the customer base and contributes almost half of all new customers in 2025, says Suman Saha, CXO House of Brands and FWD, Myntra.What sets this cohort apart, is the kind of brands they engage with — particularly new-age and digital-first labels, Sinha said, adding there’s a strong traction towards premiumisation. Further, the consumption pattern has accelerated the rise of D2C (direct to consumer) and Gen Z-focused brands. “The Gen Z cohort is growing faster than older cohorts because more of them are entering the workforce and increasing their discretionary spend,” said Nikita Khanna, founder of D2C haircare brand Moxie Beauty.