Sorry, Millennials: Gen Z Is Now Amazon’s Prime Day Target

Amazon did not respond to a request for comment, but you don’t have to look much further than its Prime Day concert for evidence. To be fair, it was streamable in 200 countries by Prime members regardless of age, but it also featured acts like 22-year-old Becky G, who was born the year Pew Research marks as the beginning of Gen Z, along with Dua Lipa and SZA, who are old enough to be classified as Millennials, but not so old to be Oregon Trail Millennials, or Xennials. (In a statement, Amazon Music vice president Steve Boom said the lineup included well-loved artists across multiple genres.)

The concert was hosted by actress Jane Lynch, likely at least in part because she starred in the second season of Prime Video’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. And while a dramedy focused on a housewife-turned-comedian may or may not overtly appeal to the youngest Millennials and oldest Gen Z consumers, the concert itself was co-hosted by veritable YouTube star Tyler Oakley, who boasts 24 million followers across his social channels (and a book available on Amazon).

The crowd at the concert at least appeared to skew young and female—an observation buoyed by Baby Boomer Lynch’s joke that she felt like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday—with the punchline being the number of people in the audience who knew she was talking about the 1953 film co-starring Gregory Peck was precisely zero.

According to web audience measurement company Quantcast, the consumers searching for Oakley and the concert performers do indeed skew female and are most highly concentrated in the 25- to 34-year-old range.

Historically, Prime Day shoppers, on the other hand, are more likely to be women 35 to 44 who are married, have children and bachelor’s or master’s degrees. So … moms, said market intelligence firm Numerator.

This concert is likely just the first step in wooing the next generation of shoppers, said Michelle Skupin, marketing and communications director at savings site RetailMeNot.

Depending on who you ask, figures vary in terms of how many Gen Z consumers are already Prime members, but firms like human behavior research firm Magid and ecommerce analytics platform Profitero agree Prime has the most room for growth within this demographic—from about 55% to 88% of shoppers within that age range.

“The most important thing with [Prime Day] is they are not trying to sell merchandise; they are trying to get you into the ecosystem,” said retail consultant Bruce Winder. “Yes, they like sales—but the whole end game is to get you into the ecosystem. Once they have you as a Prime member, your purchases go up and you’re part of the club.”