Ever dreamed of buying a Chanel purse one day? Always eyeing that Rolex store but never going in? Well, for Gen Z, dreams like these seem to be moving further and further away. With a tighter job market and rising prices all around, Gen Z is living in a world that seems designed to make things as tough as possible for them.

Maybe that’s the reason why they seem to be shifting away from the classic luxury market, and instead are re-defining what luxury means.

It’s no secret that consumerism has been completely out of control in the last few years. With the advent of online shopping, it’s become easier than ever to buy things you don’t need. Fast fashion had people ordering clothes from their beds—items that arrived in days and ended up in landfills within the year.

This has caused the birth of an anti-consumerism movement online, encouraging people to stop impulse buying and limit their purchasing.

Now, Gen Z isn’t against nice things. They aren’t rejecting luxury outright. They’re just redefining it. It’s a cultural revolution, one led not by posters and marches, but purchase choices. Cool isn’t defined by the most ultra-rare watch or the rare jacket; now it’s whether your company uses sustainable production practices and pays their workers fairly.

Gen Z customers aren’t just taking into account the product, but the firm’s values too. And if those values don’t align? Good-bye purchase.

This shift isn’t just ideological, it’s aesthetic too. People no longer want loud, flashy logos and gaudy jewelry, they want simple, timeless, and understated pieces. Look at the old money trend- consumers don’t want the loud branding of Louis Vuitton or Gucci, they want the simplicity of Ralph Lauren.

The old money trend in particular represents a shift towards a focus on quality rather than the highest price tag. This trend reflects a growing preference for quality over hype, and it’s also fueling the booming second-hand luxury market. After all, second-hand luxury offers all the quality with a much lower price tag.

Like we mentioned before, sustainability is extremely important to Gen Z buyers. Our effects on the environment grow increasingly apparent, and there’s no better way to speak out than with your wallet.

Whether a brand uses environmentally friendly methods of production or not is now a deciding factor. Most buyers are willing to pay a little bit extra if they know they’re being sustainable.

Luxury is changing. It isn’t about owning what everyone else wants, it’s about owning what no one else has. Gen Z consumers are choosing to support small businesses, investing in handmade goods rather than branded ones. It’s now a badge of victory to be able to say: “Oh, this? I thrifted it.”

Brands are learning from this, and re-orienting their marketing strategy to hit more of the key factors that Gen-Z consumers are looking for. It’s rare to find a modern day company not boasting about using sustainable sourcing methods or ethical labour. Still though, there’s a long way to go.