Gen Z Insights: January 2025
As students return to campus for the winter semester, new trends and opportunities take center stage. This edition highlights Halfday’s standout success leveraging student-athletes for 5x industry engagement, key insights from our winter back-to-school survey, and the rising influence of standout Student Athletes shaping their communities on and off the field.
Let’s dive into the latest Gen Z trends driving impact this semester!
Back-to-school trends for winter
This month’s survey from 1,000+ Student Athletes reveals key back-to-school trends for the winter semester. Affordability is a top priority, with 55% favoring discounts, and 70% likely to shop with brands offering student deals. Most athletes prepare by buying school supplies (45%) and tech gear (25%), influenced primarily by social media and influencers(50%). Online marketplaces are the go-to for 60%, highlighting the importance of convenience and cost-effective marketing strategies for this active, budget-conscious group.
Student Spotlight
Kelly Wetteland
“Vuori is so much more than an NIL deal for us. They are carbon neutral and committed to empowering NCAA Student Athletes to reach their goals. Anyone that knows me knows that I am almost overly environmentally conscious when I buy new stuff, especially clothes. Knowing that, Vuori embodies an opportunity to represent a brand that shares my love for sustainability and is making changes to reduce their footprint. AND is super comfy and cute:) Huge thank you to them and 98Strong for supporting us and our dreams.”
Kelly Wetteland
University of Arizona: Track & Field - @klwetteland
halfday Case Study
Looking Ahead
Looking to make an impact this semester? Whether it's boosting retail sales near campus or driving online conversions, we've got the services, insights and strategies to help.
Let’s connect to discuss how we can drive growth.
Andrew Mavis
98Strong, Founder & CEO
