Hi {{ first_name | default: }},
This month, we’ll deep-dive into the most ROI-rich — and most overlooked — channel in e-commerce: email.
Each week, we’ll translate one scientific study into actionable strategy. Here’s what to expect:
Price-sensitive segmentation: How discounts actually convert in email (last week)
Gen Z on your list: Why they open but rarely buy (today)
The limits of personalization: When it backfires
The subject line as your most powerful conversion lever
Email marketing is alive and well.
But when it comes to Gen Z and young professionals, most brands either underuse it — or completely overdo it.
These digital natives seem like the perfect email audience:
📱 They check email constantly
🛍️ They shop online
💡 They click on offers
Until… they don’t.
Unsubscribes spike. Open rates drop. Engagement fades.
What’s going wrong?
A recent study of 100 students and young adults uncovers how email influences their purchase decisions — and why relevance isn’t enough.
The results? Eye-opening, a bit contradictory, and highly actionable.
Study Overview
Title: Email Marketing: Is It Still the Influence Young Adults on Purchase Decision
Authors: T.V. Ambuli, V.P. Kumar & R. Surendher (2024)
Method: Quantitative survey (100 respondents)
Focus: How email marketing impacts Gen Z purchase behavior
Key Insights
1. Email is far from dead — it’s just mobile
57% read email on their phone
52% get daily or weekly promo emails
Most read them while multitasking, commuting, or taking breaks
2. Subject lines make or break you
54% open purely based on the subject line
Only 18% care about the first lines of content
Brand name matters less (28%) — unless it’s a strong name
3. Promo emails influence — but don’t always convert
67% say emails affect purchase decisions
Yet 40% have never bought from an email
32% do so monthly
→ Email builds awareness more than direct conversions
4. Frequency = fatigue
39% get 1 promo email/week
32% get 2–6/week
22% get emails daily
32% ignore them entirely
Only 28% read emails they find annoying
The line between “useful” and “spammy”? Around 2–3 emails/week
What this means:
Gen Z doesn’t hate email.
But they demand relevance, speed, and most of all: control.
So... how do you actually win over Gen Z in the inbox?
Relevance alone won’t cut it. Neither will design or clever copy.
To truly earn attention from young consumers, you need a new strategy — one that blends behavior, boundaries, and belonging.
In the premium edition, you'll discover:
✅ The exact subject line formats that drive opens
✅ How to balance frequency without losing engagement
✅ Smart segmentation tricks based on real user behavior
✅ Why “save-for-later” might be your highest-ROI email CTA
→ Want Gen Z to read and convert? Start here.
Subscribe to our premium content to read the rest.
Become a premium subscriber to get access to this post.
UpgradePremium Members get:
- 5-min weekly research summary
- Strategic deep dives
- 3–5 ready-to-test ideas
- Priority for feedback & questions
- Full archive access