Our research with 8 to 18 year olds found that young people who play Roblox shop for clothes on retail apps rather than in stores, shop differently at each age, and treat their avatar's style and their real wardrobe as one thing. The findings come from qualitative groups with 8 to 18 year olds and from our 2023 Metaverse Survey of monthly Roblox users aged 8 to 29: 409 aged 8 to 12, 407 aged 13 to 16, 406 aged 17 to 24 and 409 aged 25 to 29.
Apps over stores. Everyone in the qualitative groups had downloaded retail apps such as Shein, Nike, adidas, JD, Primark and H&M, browsed them routinely for looks they liked, and often sent links to a parent. This is a qualitative finding from the groups, not a population estimate.
Each age shops differently. 8 to 11 year olds shop at a mix of sports brands and high-street retailers, and are the only group who buy clothes at supermarkets, because a parent chooses. 12 to 15 year olds shop across the widest range of retailers of any group, and move onto pre-loved apps such as Vinted and Depop as they get older. 16 to 18 year olds narrow to specific, higher-end brands such as Calvin Klein and Hugo Boss.
Virtual and real fashion form one loop. Every Roblox-playing respondent in the 2023 survey shops in Roblox for items similar to what they have bought in real life, and often finds an unofficial copy of something from their own wardrobe in the Marketplace. The majority want to buy real-world fashion brands in Roblox and would choose a branded item over an unbranded one. Real-world style shapes what they wear in-game, and what they wear in-game shapes what they buy. Roblox's own Fashion Report 2023 found 84% of Gen Z say their avatar's style influences their real-world fashion choices.
What they want more of. Items drawn from the rest of their lives: sports brands, YouTuber merchandise, designer options, character costumes, and real-world brand clothing.