Piper Sandler recently unveiled its 49th semi-annual Taking Stock With Teens Survey and found the top brand picks – from food to makeup – for Gen Alpha and Gen Z. Businesses would be well-advised to take note, because these consumers boast a surprising amount of money to spend in 2025.
The survey “offers an inside look at how thousands of U.S. teens are spending their money and its correlation to our economy. This spring, teens self-reported annual spending at $2,388, which is an increase from both our spring 2024 and fall 2024 surveys,” noted Korinne Wolfmeyer, senior research analyst at Piper Sandler, according to a press release.
The Respondents
More than 6,400 teens were surveyed for the research, at an average age of 16.2 years old. Their average household income was $65,995. Fifty-four percent were male, 45% female and 1% non-binary.
Thirty-seven percent of the teens surveyed reported they were employed part-time. Half of those surveyed live in the South, 27% in the Midwest, 13% in the West 10% in the Northeast.
Social Media’s Impact
For brands, reaching teens through technology is a must. A whooping 88% of teens currently own an iPhone with a fourth of that number expecting to upgrade to an iPhone 17 this upcoming fall.
Almost half of teens prefer TikTok over other social platforms at 47%, followed by Instagram at 28% and Snapchat at 14%.
When it comes to streaming videos, Netflix takes the top spot with 31% saying it’s their top choice, followed closely by YouTube at 26% and Hulu with 7%.
Food and Beverage Findings: Energy Drinks Rule
Chicken chain Chick-fil-A remains the most popular QSR among America’s youth. Chick-fil-A was teens’ favorite chain restaurant (17%), followed by McDonalds (11%) and Chipotle (10%). Snacks with a crunch have a chokehold on teens, with Lays (13%), Goldish (9%) and Doritos (8%) leading the category.
America’s youth prefer energy drinks to coffee and soda as their source of energy, with the top energy drinks being Red Bull at 29%, Monster at 26% and Alani Nu at 17%. Top beverages outside of energy drinks were Dr Pepper (10%), Coca-Cola (9%) and Gatorade (7%).
Influencers Earn Trust
If you want a teen to buy your product, getting an influencer’s seal-of-approval is a must. Basketball icon LeBron James is the most popular influencer for teens, followed by Alix Earle who rose to fame with her “Get Ready with Me” videos. Meanwhile, philanthropist and social media personality MrBeast rounded out the top three.
Key Takeaways
The survey found that teens increased their self-reported spending by 6% from last year, to $2,388. Even though they’re spending more, more than half of the teens – 57 % – have a worse outlook on economic trends than they did last year.
Nineteen percent of those surveyed feel the economy is better these days, while 23% feel like their financial outlook remain unchanged.
The Food Institute Podcast
It’s tariff time, and companies the world over are working to better understand how their operations will be impacted. Jodi Ader from RSM US LLP joined The Food Institute Podcast to discuss which products and inputs are currently subject to tariffs, and how to best mitigate supply chain risks.
