Gen Z no longer 'just shops' on e-commerce! Z-SOZOKEN (Gen Z Creativity Research Institute) releases its third insight summary, revealing different reasons for support: ZOZOTOWN (35%) ranks 1st, Qoo10 (25%) ranks 2nd.
Gen Z's e-commerce usage is bifurcating into 'personalized search' and 'SNS-linked entertainment consumption.'
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: March 31, 2026 at 22:00
Fiom LLC (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Employee: Yohei Takeshita), a creative company for Gen Z, operates "Z-SOZOKEN (Gen Z Creativity Research Institute)," a think tank where Gen Z individuals analyze their realities and values. Z-SOZOKEN has independently released its third insight summary, deeply examining trends in the e-commerce (online shopping) industry based on the latest survey report, "Brand Ranking with Skyrocketed Image Among Gen Z," which covered 19 categories including food, cosmetics, apparel, and entertainment, targeting 300 Gen Z individuals (18-24 years old) nationwide.
In recent years, as hashtag and video searches on Instagram and TikTok have become mainstream for direct purchases in online shopping, including apparel and cosmetics, marketing managers in the e-commerce and retail industries are constantly struggling with "how to stimulate Gen Z's purchasing desire and make them choose their platform."
However, promotions that merely superficially advertise "a wide selection of products" or appeal with one-off discount coupons are often seen through by information-literate Gen Z, failing to build deep brand trust or continuous purchasing behavior.
Against this backdrop, Z-SOZOKEN, a research institution specializing in Gen Z, picked up the "e-commerce industry," which forms the foundation of Gen Z's daily consumption behavior, from the overall ranking results across all 19 categories.
In what is often called the Amazon-dominated era, modern Gen Z's demands for e-commerce platforms are clearly bifurcating into "a search infrastructure optimized for themselves" and "a festival-like feeling linked to SNS (event experience)," and this report analyzes and presents these realities and their underlying psychology from a novel and unique perspective.
Download the full survey report (full version)
Unraveling Unique Insights into "Gen Z's E-commerce Brand Evaluation"
From the e-commerce industry section of this survey, it became clear that Gen Z finds completely different values in each brand: "personalized search experience" and "consumption as entertainment."
- ZOZOTOWN, the champion of personalized search, proudly takes 1st place (Image improved: 35%)
ZOZOTOWN was the number one brand whose image improved the most. It has solidified its position as a fashion-specialized search engine that helps users find "the right fit for themselves" based on their skeletal structure and personal color, moving beyond being just a place to buy clothes.
- Qoo10, which turns consumption into entertainment, closely follows in 2nd place (Image improved: 25%)
Qoo10 ranked 2nd. The quarterly "Mega Discount" has evolved from a mere sale into a major event on SNS where people discuss "what to buy," and the festival-like feeling of the consumption experience itself has garnered support.
- Amazon, an overwhelming daily infrastructure, ranks 3rd (Image improved: 24%)
Amazon followed in 3rd place. In addition to its overwhelming delivery speed, its "overall convenience inseparable from daily life," including entertainment areas like Prime Video, is highly valued by pragmatic Gen Z.
[Survey Research Report Commentary] Details and Deep Insights into the "E-commerce Industry" Ranking
Based on the data in the main report, we will delve deeper into the real values Gen Z holds for e-commerce brands and the marketing hints companies should glean from them.
1st place: ZOZOTOWN (Image improved: 35% / Image skyrocketed most: 12%)
As symbolized by the comment, "When I look for clothes, I always check ZOZO first. It's super convenient to search by personal color and skeletal structure" (20-year-old / University student / Fukuoka Prefecture), the biggest factor in ZOZOTOWN's top ranking is its evolution into a "personalized search infrastructure" that guides users to "the right answer for themselves" in the shortest possible time in today's information-overloaded world. For Gen Z, who have a strong desire to avoid failure, the UI/UX that allows them to narrow down vast products to those that match their skeletal structure and color provides a sense of "security" beyond mere convenience. Companies are now challenged not just to display products, but to design "ease of selection" by catering to individual user attributes.
2nd place: Qoo10 (Image improved: 25% / Image skyrocketed most: 5%)
As expressed by, "During Mega Discount periods, it's definitely a bargain, so I stock up on cosmetics and skincare" (19-year-old / University student / Saitama Prefecture), Qoo10 functions as a receptacle for Gen Z's "event consumption (festival-like feeling)." Qoo10's Mega Discount is not just a discount sale but has become established as a major SNS-linked entertainment where users "watch influencer recommendation videos, share information with friends, and buy together." Beyond just affordability, the mechanism that creates a sense of community and excitement, wanting to "ride this wave that everyone is buying," is a direct reason for its improved image.
3rd place: Amazon (Image improved: 24% / Image skyrocketed most: 14%)
As indicated by the comment, "No matter what, it arrives the fastest, and the benefits of Prime membership are so great that I can't leave it" (22-year-old / Working adult / Tokyo), Amazon has elevated mere online shopping into an "indispensable infrastructure for daily life (overwhelming time performance)." For Gen Z, the speed of receiving desired items the next day is crucial, and the "excellent time and cost performance that completes everything within one economic sphere," including Prime Video and music streaming, boasts immense power. Becoming an "indispensable presence" at every touchpoint of daily life ultimately creates a powerful cycle that boosts absolute trust and favorability towards the brand.
Survey Overview
Survey Name: Brand Ranking with Skyrocketed Image Among Gen Z
Target: Gen Z nationwide (18-24 years old)
Survey Period: September 2025
Survey Method: Online questionnaire survey
Valid Responses: n=300
Survey Analysis: Z-SOZOKEN (Gen Z Creativity Research Institute) (Operated by Fiom LLC)
Terms of Use
Please specify "Fiom LLC" as the source of information.
Download the full survey report (51 pages) for free
The content introduced here is just a partial excerpt from the 19 categories and only a small part of the survey report.
The main report includes the full "Image Skyrocketed Ranking" for all 19 industries, such as SNS, apparel, cosmetics, food, retail stores, cafes, travel, education, games, video streaming, music/theater, finance, and sustainability, in addition to the e-commerce industry section introduced in this release.
Furthermore, it multi-dimensionally analyzes specific brands whose image "declined" and their critical factors, along with candid opinions from Gen Z individuals.
It is packed with real Gen Z insights that can be immediately applied to brand strategies and communication measures starting tomorrow.
If you are interested, please download and utilize it from the link below.
Download the full survey report (full version)
Comment from Z-SOZOKEN Director
◆ Yohei Takeshita
Director, Z-SOZOKEN (Gen Z Creativity Research Institute)
CEO, Fiom LLC
Born in 2005. Established Fiom LLC in October 2021. With the mission of maximizing the creativity of Gen Z creators, the company develops communication production business and research & planning business for Gen Z by Gen Z. It has a wide range of support実績 for organizations from listed companies to large corporations, small and medium-sized enterprises, ventures, startups, government, and local authorities. Leveraging Gen Z's creativity, it provides one-stop execution support from upstream design to production and operation of advertising communication for Gen Z.
"For Gen Z, e-commerce is no longer simply 'a place to buy things,' but has bifurcated into 'an infrastructure for searching for what suits them' and 'entertainment to enjoy the excitement.'"
The ranking of ZOZOTOWN and Qoo10, highlighted in this third insight summary, proves that Gen Z's approach to online consumption has completely shifted from a phase of "just wanting to buy cheaply" to a phase of critically discerning "whether it caters to their individuality" or "whether they can share the experience as an SNS trend."
For companies to enhance Gen Z engagement, simply distributing coupons indiscriminately is insufficient.
Only companies that can design communication deeply aligned with the target's "context of consumption" – whether by providing a "personalized search experience that caters to their 'desire to avoid failure'" like ZOZOTOWN, or by offering a "feverish event feeling linked to SNS" like Qoo10 – can make their brand image "skyrocket."
"Gen Z Research and Study Menu" where Gen Z individuals unearth real insights
At Z-SOZOKEN, we offer a "Gen Z Research and Study Menu" where Gen Z researchers directly handle projects tailored to corporate challenges, not just our independent surveys like the one introduced in this release.
Instead of observational research from an adult perspective, we achieve "synchronization of passion" as individuals living in the same era as the target, unraveling deep psychology and context that are not visible in superficial questionnaires. We define the "inevitability" for your brand to be chosen by Gen Z.
[Provided Plans (Partial Excerpt)]
- Z-SOZOKEN Market Research Plan (Standard Menu)
We conduct hypothesis formulation, quantitative questionnaires, and qualitative interviews, then create and deliver an original research report that unravels the actual situation.
- Z-SOZOKEN Insight Research Plan (Standard Menu)
In addition to market research, we provide end-to-end support, including in-depth research and integrated PR support (press release dissemination) to make it a public topic.
- Purpose-specific Customized Research (Single Menu)
We propose the optimal approach tailored to your objectives, such as in-depth interviews, group interviews, nationwide quantitative questionnaires, and evaluation/improvement of existing creatives from a Gen Z perspective.
Specific pricing, schedules, and deliverables for each plan are exclusively available in the service materials. Companies facing challenges in Gen Z marketing research or customer understanding are encouraged to download the materials from the link below for more details.
Download service materials
For those struggling to appeal to Gen Z
"I don't know how to promote e-commerce or retail to resonate with Gen Z."
"Influencer campaigns don't lead to actual purchases."
To those in charge who felt this way after seeing the survey results:
Our company is a creative company specializing in Gen Z, composed entirely of Gen Z members.
We provide integrated, one-stop support from marketing research, strategic planning, proposal development, production, to operation, utilizing the sensibilities and perspectives unique to Gen Z and their peers.
If you are struggling with planning, production, marketing, or branding for Gen Z or younger demographics, please feel free to contact us.
https://fiom-llc.studio.site/contact
In recent years, as hashtag and video searches on Instagram and TikTok have become mainstream for direct purchases in online shopping, including apparel and cosmetics, marketing managers in the e-commerce and retail industries are constantly struggling with "how to stimulate Gen Z's purchasing desire and make them choose their platform."
However, promotions that merely superficially advertise "a wide selection of products" or appeal with one-off discount coupons are often seen through by information-literate Gen Z, failing to build deep brand trust or continuous purchasing behavior.
Against this backdrop, Z-SOZOKEN, a research institution specializing in Gen Z, picked up the "e-commerce industry," which forms the foundation of Gen Z's daily consumption behavior, from the overall ranking results across all 19 categories.
In what is often called the Amazon-dominated era, modern Gen Z's demands for e-commerce platforms are clearly bifurcating into "a search infrastructure optimized for themselves" and "a festival-like feeling linked to SNS (event experience)," and this report analyzes and presents these realities and their underlying psychology from a novel and unique perspective.
Download the full survey report (full version)
Unraveling Unique Insights into "Gen Z's E-commerce Brand Evaluation"
From the e-commerce industry section of this survey, it became clear that Gen Z finds completely different values in each brand: "personalized search experience" and "consumption as entertainment."
- ZOZOTOWN, the champion of personalized search, proudly takes 1st place (Image improved: 35%)
ZOZOTOWN was the number one brand whose image improved the most. It has solidified its position as a fashion-specialized search engine that helps users find "the right fit for themselves" based on their skeletal structure and personal color, moving beyond being just a place to buy clothes.
- Qoo10, which turns consumption into entertainment, closely follows in 2nd place (Image improved: 25%)
Qoo10 ranked 2nd. The quarterly "Mega Discount" has evolved from a mere sale into a major event on SNS where people discuss "what to buy," and the festival-like feeling of the consumption experience itself has garnered support.
- Amazon, an overwhelming daily infrastructure, ranks 3rd (Image improved: 24%)
Amazon followed in 3rd place. In addition to its overwhelming delivery speed, its "overall convenience inseparable from daily life," including entertainment areas like Prime Video, is highly valued by pragmatic Gen Z.
[Survey Research Report Commentary] Details and Deep Insights into the "E-commerce Industry" Ranking
Based on the data in the main report, we will delve deeper into the real values Gen Z holds for e-commerce brands and the marketing hints companies should glean from them.
1st place: ZOZOTOWN (Image improved: 35% / Image skyrocketed most: 12%)
As symbolized by the comment, "When I look for clothes, I always check ZOZO first. It's super convenient to search by personal color and skeletal structure" (20-year-old / University student / Fukuoka Prefecture), the biggest factor in ZOZOTOWN's top ranking is its evolution into a "personalized search infrastructure" that guides users to "the right answer for themselves" in the shortest possible time in today's information-overloaded world. For Gen Z, who have a strong desire to avoid failure, the UI/UX that allows them to narrow down vast products to those that match their skeletal structure and color provides a sense of "security" beyond mere convenience. Companies are now challenged not just to display products, but to design "ease of selection" by catering to individual user attributes.
2nd place: Qoo10 (Image improved: 25% / Image skyrocketed most: 5%)
As expressed by, "During Mega Discount periods, it's definitely a bargain, so I stock up on cosmetics and skincare" (19-year-old / University student / Saitama Prefecture), Qoo10 functions as a receptacle for Gen Z's "event consumption (festival-like feeling)." Qoo10's Mega Discount is not just a discount sale but has become established as a major SNS-linked entertainment where users "watch influencer recommendation videos, share information with friends, and buy together." Beyond just affordability, the mechanism that creates a sense of community and excitement, wanting to "ride this wave that everyone is buying," is a direct reason for its improved image.
3rd place: Amazon (Image improved: 24% / Image skyrocketed most: 14%)
As indicated by the comment, "No matter what, it arrives the fastest, and the benefits of Prime membership are so great that I can't leave it" (22-year-old / Working adult / Tokyo), Amazon has elevated mere online shopping into an "indispensable infrastructure for daily life (overwhelming time performance)." For Gen Z, the speed of receiving desired items the next day is crucial, and the "excellent time and cost performance that completes everything within one economic sphere," including Prime Video and music streaming, boasts immense power. Becoming an "indispensable presence" at every touchpoint of daily life ultimately creates a powerful cycle that boosts absolute trust and favorability towards the brand.
Survey Overview
Survey Name: Brand Ranking with Skyrocketed Image Among Gen Z
Target: Gen Z nationwide (18-24 years old)
Survey Period: September 2025
Survey Method: Online questionnaire survey
Valid Responses: n=300
Survey Analysis: Z-SOZOKEN (Gen Z Creativity Research Institute) (Operated by Fiom LLC)
Terms of Use
Please specify "Fiom LLC" as the source of information.
Download the full survey report (51 pages) for free
The content introduced here is just a partial excerpt from the 19 categories and only a small part of the survey report.
The main report includes the full "Image Skyrocketed Ranking" for all 19 industries, such as SNS, apparel, cosmetics, food, retail stores, cafes, travel, education, games, video streaming, music/theater, finance, and sustainability, in addition to the e-commerce industry section introduced in this release.
Furthermore, it multi-dimensionally analyzes specific brands whose image "declined" and their critical factors, along with candid opinions from Gen Z individuals.
It is packed with real Gen Z insights that can be immediately applied to brand strategies and communication measures starting tomorrow.
If you are interested, please download and utilize it from the link below.
Download the full survey report (full version)
Comment from Z-SOZOKEN Director
◆ Yohei Takeshita
Director, Z-SOZOKEN (Gen Z Creativity Research Institute)
CEO, Fiom LLC
Born in 2005. Established Fiom LLC in October 2021. With the mission of maximizing the creativity of Gen Z creators, the company develops communication production business and research & planning business for Gen Z by Gen Z. It has a wide range of support実績 for organizations from listed companies to large corporations, small and medium-sized enterprises, ventures, startups, government, and local authorities. Leveraging Gen Z's creativity, it provides one-stop execution support from upstream design to production and operation of advertising communication for Gen Z.
"For Gen Z, e-commerce is no longer simply 'a place to buy things,' but has bifurcated into 'an infrastructure for searching for what suits them' and 'entertainment to enjoy the excitement.'"
The ranking of ZOZOTOWN and Qoo10, highlighted in this third insight summary, proves that Gen Z's approach to online consumption has completely shifted from a phase of "just wanting to buy cheaply" to a phase of critically discerning "whether it caters to their individuality" or "whether they can share the experience as an SNS trend."
For companies to enhance Gen Z engagement, simply distributing coupons indiscriminately is insufficient.
Only companies that can design communication deeply aligned with the target's "context of consumption" – whether by providing a "personalized search experience that caters to their 'desire to avoid failure'" like ZOZOTOWN, or by offering a "feverish event feeling linked to SNS" like Qoo10 – can make their brand image "skyrocket."
"Gen Z Research and Study Menu" where Gen Z individuals unearth real insights
At Z-SOZOKEN, we offer a "Gen Z Research and Study Menu" where Gen Z researchers directly handle projects tailored to corporate challenges, not just our independent surveys like the one introduced in this release.
Instead of observational research from an adult perspective, we achieve "synchronization of passion" as individuals living in the same era as the target, unraveling deep psychology and context that are not visible in superficial questionnaires. We define the "inevitability" for your brand to be chosen by Gen Z.
[Provided Plans (Partial Excerpt)]
- Z-SOZOKEN Market Research Plan (Standard Menu)
We conduct hypothesis formulation, quantitative questionnaires, and qualitative interviews, then create and deliver an original research report that unravels the actual situation.
- Z-SOZOKEN Insight Research Plan (Standard Menu)
In addition to market research, we provide end-to-end support, including in-depth research and integrated PR support (press release dissemination) to make it a public topic.
- Purpose-specific Customized Research (Single Menu)
We propose the optimal approach tailored to your objectives, such as in-depth interviews, group interviews, nationwide quantitative questionnaires, and evaluation/improvement of existing creatives from a Gen Z perspective.
Specific pricing, schedules, and deliverables for each plan are exclusively available in the service materials. Companies facing challenges in Gen Z marketing research or customer understanding are encouraged to download the materials from the link below for more details.
Download service materials
For those struggling to appeal to Gen Z
"I don't know how to promote e-commerce or retail to resonate with Gen Z."
"Influencer campaigns don't lead to actual purchases."
To those in charge who felt this way after seeing the survey results:
Our company is a creative company specializing in Gen Z, composed entirely of Gen Z members.
We provide integrated, one-stop support from marketing research, strategic planning, proposal development, production, to operation, utilizing the sensibilities and perspectives unique to Gen Z and their peers.
If you are struggling with planning, production, marketing, or branding for Gen Z or younger demographics, please feel free to contact us.
https://fiom-llc.studio.site/contact
FAQ
What specifically does the bifurcation in Gen Z's e-commerce demands refer to?
It refers to two aspects: 'personalized search infrastructure' and 'SNS-linked festival-like experiences (event experiences).' ZOZOTOWN exemplifies the former, and Qoo10 the latter.
What is the main reason ZOZOTOWN is supported by Gen Z?
It is valued as a fashion-specific personalized search infrastructure that allows users to find 'the right fit for themselves' based on their skeletal structure and personal color.
Why is Qoo10's 'Mega Discount' popular among Gen Z?
It's not just a sale, but a 'major entertainment' event where information is shared on SNS, and friends buy together, creating a festive atmosphere.