TIME survey finds each generation names different favorite American brands
A TIME and Statista survey of more than 33,000 Americans shows Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z favor different brands, with Chick-fil-A the only name all four generations rated highly.
A new consumer survey by TIME and its data partner Statista shows that Americans of different generations are shopping in markedly different ways, and that their favorite brands reflect those habits. Based on responses from more than 33,000 Americans of all ages, the study suggests that while Baby Boomers, Gen X and Millennials share some tastes, Gen Z is reshaping the retail landscape.
The 10-minute online questionnaire asked respondents to name categories in which they had made a purchase or done research within the past three years, and to list up to three brands in each category. Participants then rated those brands on customer service, user experience and quality on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being terrible and 5 being excellent. A final question asked how likely they were to recommend each brand to friends and family of a similar age, on a scale from 0 to 10. The brands featured in each generation's ranking are those that group named most often and rated most highly.
Among the top picks, Baby Boomers chose the running shoe brand Brooks, which ranked first on their list of top 10 brands. Designer Kate Spade led the Gen X list. Kitchen appliance maker Ninja topped the Millennial rankings, while bottled water brand Ice Mountain, popularized by TikTok, came out on top among Gen Z respondents.
Some categories drew almost no responses from younger shoppers, which the survey reflects in its results. Gen Z participants largely left blank the categories of department stores, women's clothing brands and ovens. Nordstrom was ranked by Baby Boomers, Gen X and Millennials, but no meaningful number of Gen Z respondents named a single department store. Industry observers have long noted that older shoppers visit department stores more often than younger ones.
Neil Saunders, managing director and retail analyst at GlobalData Retail, said that over the last decade luxury brands such as Prada, Chanel and Louis Vuitton have increasingly opened their own stores rather than relying on department stores such as Neiman Marcus. "Every year, the segment has seen its market share, share of retail sales, decline," Saunders said. Many department stores are located in malls, and with Millennials and Gen Z doing more online shopping or buying secondhand, most malls are seeing declining foot traffic. According to Capital One Shopping Research cited in the reporting, an average of 40 malls closed each year in the U.S. between 2017 and 2022.
Instead of a single department store, Gen Z tends to mix high-end and budget retailers to buy brands sold only at specific places, such as Michael Kors, Coach or Zara. Jeff Fromm, author of Marketing to Gen Z and Marketing to Millennials, described them as "the ultimate day-traders." Fromm said younger shoppers are less loyal to particular designers than earlier generations and are more influenced by the clothing worn by people they follow on social media. He added that Gen Z and Millennials tend to spend more on experiences than on possessions, particularly travel, sporting events, concerts and photogenic food.
The survey also found no oven brands in the Gen Z section. Saunders noted that while younger consumers watch viral TikTok recipes made with countertop appliances such as air fryers and Instant Pots, they spend more time eating takeout from fast-casual restaurants than cooking in an oven, aided by delivery apps such as DoorDash and Uber Eats. Jack Curran, senior analyst and team lead at IBISWorld, which published a 2026 report on U.S. household appliance manufacturing, suggested homeownership may play a role. He wrote to TIME that only about 25 percent of Gen Z owns a home, so most members of the generation are not responsible for buying their own ovens and other large appliances. "For the most part, if you rent an apartment, you just use whatever appliances are already there," Curran said.
Fast food, however, appears to unite the generations. Chick-fil-A was the one brand that every generation in the survey agreed on.
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