Introducing the Class of 2025

Our yearly insight zine aims to give marketers an understanding of the youth audience in the coming year. As a demographic constantly evolving, and the deciders of what’s in and out of trend, it is essential to understand the wider cultural shifts in passion and pain points for the audience to effectively reach them.

youth insight + strategy

From movements such as Brat Summer and Demure Girl Fall, to the rise of run clubs and capsule wardrobes, across all brand sectors there are significant shifts that will impact consumption habits in the coming year. Our survey of 500 university students from 38 universities across the UK gives insight into what marketers can expect from the next generation in 2025 and beyond.

Capsule Wardrobes are IN

Fashion is a primary consumption channel for the youth audience, with the importance of wearing the right clothes to match your personality being paramount. Students are willing to invest in new clothes versus other products, with 96% of students shopping for new clothes at least once a month. Their investment into new clothes reflects the movement towards more expensive staple pieces rather than cheaper fast fashion alternatives - 47% of students said their average basket size was between £25-50 and 37% said their basket size was £50-100.

When it comes to the brands students are purchasing from, there is a contradiction between how they believe they shop and the brands they purchase from most. Despite looking to invest in staple products, the leading two brands of consumption remain Zara and H&M. Despite this, we can see a shift in consumption patterns with the rise of Vinted as the third primary fashion brand and Carhartt close behind.

What matters most to students is the ability to reuse, repurpose and restyle clothing - signifying a shift from buying for occasions to buying to last. 95% of students were open to purchasing from a brand that is new to them, showing the potential for new brands to make an impact on the youth audience across the next academic year.

Pop Supremacy

Music taste has shifted dramatically over the past twelve months, with the supremacy of techno as the primary music that the youth audience listen to being surpassed by pop. The top three music genres that students are listening to when they go out are Pop (58%), House (44%) and RnB (38%).

The reasoning for this shift relates to the virality of new albums from artists such as Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Charli XCX leading to a youth movement towards enjoying music more in the home, as a personal experience rather than focusing on music solely when going out.

Student relationships to music differ in the purpose of music within their lives. 82% said that they listen to music to hype them up, whilst 75% also said they listen to music to help them relax. Alongside this, relationships to music are taking on a deeper meaning with the growth of music careers as an aspiration exponentially rising - 28% of students are considering a career in music in 2025.

Pub Culture

Despite a slower style of living, with 86% of students seeing fitness as an important aspect of their lives, 81% of students are consuming alcohol at least once a week, with 70% of students consuming three or more drinks when they are drinking. When it comes to the type of alcohol they are consuming, spirit mixers have prevalence with 65% of students opting for this choice followed by beer (42%) and wine (35%).

The biggest shift in alcohol consumption lies in the occasions that students are drinking - pub culture is replacing club culture. 72% of students drink most regularly in the pub, as the youth audience value meaningful interactions with peers rather than the binge drinking culture that has been characteristic of student audience in previous years. Their choices in alcohol reflect this slower consumption pace, with spirit mixers, wine and beer as the leading alcohol types students are consuming.

Community through Food

Alongside alcohol, food is central to community building whilst at University. 86% order takeaway at least once a month and 82% eat out at least once a month, however cooking is still prevalent with 77% of students cooking their own food everyday. Deliveroo is the leading student meal delivery service with 69% of students opting for this brand due to the student proposition of Deliveroo Student offering them free delivery across the academic year.

Occasions for ordering in centre around moments with friends and building meaningful connections with housemates. When it comes to restaurants, Nando’s, Dominos and Wagamama were highlighted as brands winning within the student audience similarly due to their tailored strategies towards students - noting that they prefer brands with student specific deals and discounts that they feel cater to their wants and needs.

Conclusions

This year, we’re seeing a seismic shift in values being the most important lever for youth audiences engaging with a brand. Students want to see brands engaging with what they care about, with shifts towards a healthier, more sustainable and cost effective way of living across the audience being integral. One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to the youth audiences however, with passion points like gaming, fitness and social media all impacting the ways in which students engage with your brand. In order to win with the youth audience in 2025, you must understand your brand values, what you stand for and who your youth audience is.