How the young spend their money
They are woke, broke and complicated. Businesses should take note

Young people have always perplexed their elders. Today’s youngsters are no different; indeed, they are baffling. They have thin wallets and expensive tastes. They prize convenience and a social conscience. They want shopping to be at once seamless and personal. They crave authenticity while being constantly immersed in an ersatz digital world. As they start spending in earnest, brands are trying to understand what these walking paradoxes want and how they shop. The answers will define the next era of consumerism.
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This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “Buying time”

From the January 21st 2023 edition
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