Gen Alpha Trends: How the Next Generation Influences Buying Behavior and Decisions

Gen Alpha, the generation born between 2010 and 2024, is the largest generation ever at 2 billion strong, according to science news outlet PsyPost.

That’s a lot of potential buying power, and it’s already reshaping commerce, recent data from Salsify’s upcoming “2026 Consumer Research” report shows.

Salsify’s annual consumer research survey of nearly 3,000 shoppers across the U.S., U.K., and Canada examines consumer preferences and behaviors across generations, genders, and geographic markets.

The survey found Gen Alpha is already influencing household spending and purchasing decisions in powerful ways, serving as the arbiter of what’s hot and what’s not for their mostly millennial parents.  

Here are a few standout Gen Alpha trends and what they mean for brands that want to engage this growing and increasingly influential demographic. 

Gen Alpha’s Impact on Household Spending

More than 40% of parents and guardians say their Gen Alpha children influence spending in some way, while 9% say this group influences most of their household purchases. As you might expect, Gen Alpha’s preferences carry more weight depending on product type.

Gen Alpha’s Influence Across Verticals

Gen Alpha exerts the most influence within the food and beverage space, but their impact extends beyond what fills the fridge and pantry. Check out how much Gen Alpha influences purchases across 10 different verticals:

• 26% of food and beverage purchases
• 24% of fashion and apparel purchases
• 19% of electronics purchases
• 14% of toy and baby purchases
• 13% of health and wellness purchases
• 12% of sports and outdoor purchases
• 12% of personal care and beauty purchases
• 11% of furniture and home goods purchases
• 10% of home improvement purchases
• 9% of household supplies purchases

4 Ways Brands Can Appeal to Gen Alpha Parents and Guardians

Though most members of Gen Alpha aren’t directly making purchases yet, their needs, wants, and preferences will continue to sway their parents’ buying behavior.

For your brand to successfully engage this generation, you need to offer content and messaging that appeals to the entire family. Here are four strategies to keep in mind as you try to capitalize on Gen Alpha trends:

1. Use Language That Appeals to Parents

You don’t have to flood your ads with phrases like “rizz” and “no cap” to appeal to this generation. Your overtures should relate to both Gen Alphas and their parents.  

Talk about how your product solves a pressing problem, whether it’s foods that even picky eaters will love, clothing with adjustable sizing that lasts through growth spurts, or the most kid-friendly tech gifts for the holidays.

If your messaging prioritizes Gen Alpha children but resonates with their parents, your products are more likely to end up in shopping carts.

2. Create Family-Friendly User-Generated Content

Consumers give a lot of weight to reviews, ratings, and recommendations when choosing products. A staggering 99% of U.S. consumers read online reviews before making purchases, according to Capital One Shopping Research.

You can tap into this trust factor by transforming real customers into your best advocates. Social media is filled with videos, comments, and other user-generated content you can potentially repurpose for your campaigns.  

You could also partner with influencers to showcase your products. But don’t just focus on creators with hundreds of thousands or millions of followers. Try collaborating with micro-influencers — they typically have smaller but more engaged followings, making them a powerful lever to pull to catch parents’ eyes.

3. Lead With Authenticity

Gen Alphas value authenticity and brands that align with a purpose. In one Razorfish study, nearly a third of Gen Alphas said “they wanted to make a difference, help others, and protect the planet.”

If your brand is naturally aligned with social causes — whether that’s mental health, environmental protection, or social justice — it’s important to highlight these shared values to create a point of connection with Gen Alphas.

Once they know you share their values, they’ll likely encourage their parents to buy from you (or save up to make a purchase themselves, with parent approval).

4. Tap Into Nostalgia

A beloved childhood memory can be a powerful source of emotion — and a glimpse into the essence of who someone is and who they’re becoming.

Your brand can play up nostalgia to connect with Gen Alpha families. But don’t just focus on the products of yesteryear. Consider a unique product collaboration, pairing a popular childhood favorite for millennial parents with a current trend, character, or product that appeals to their Gen Alpha kids.  

This creative crossover will excite parents and younger generations alike, laying the groundwork for higher engagement, conversions, and connection with a generation whose buying power and influence on the next era of consumer culture should only increase.

Play Up Your Strategy

Reaching Gen Alpha requires brands to play with and play up their strategy — copy can’t be cut, dry, and boring. It has to tap into what Gen Alpha parents and guardians loved when they were kids (so they’re more likely to buy it for their kids). At the same time, your content must address how products meet parents’ most pressing needs.

Consider how much Gen Alpha influences product purchases in your vertical and how your marketing can step outside the box in 2026 to capture the next generation of spenders. Try partnering with influencers, kicking off a philanthropic campaign, or a new (old) collab.