Why generic eCommerce platforms aren’t enough for the next generation

The way young people shop is changing faster than the platforms trying to serve them.

They're done with the "one-size-fits-all" shopping experience. Convenience alone is no longer enough when it comes at the expense of identity and feeling a part of something. Today's younger generations have grown up curating every aspect of their lives – from TikTok feeds to clothing to communities – and they expect shopping to reflect that same level of personal relevance.

Research shows that 70% of consumers now prefer specialised marketplaces over broad platforms, with younger audiences even more exacting. For them, relevance is non-negotiable. They want platforms that feel like they were made with them in mind – spaces that speak their language, reflect their world and respect the reality of student budgets. They don't want to have to pick between their values and their student loan.

Convenience alone no longer creates connection, and price cuts don't build loyalty. So, what happens when the default ways of reaching students no longer meet their needs?

A model that fails both sides

In short, the reality is that the cracks are widening on both sides.

For brands, the numbers just don't add up. Discounting has shifted from being a tactical lever to a standard expectation. The result, therefore, is eroded margins before a product even reaches the customer. And when every offer looks the same in a crowded discount directory, the ability to tell a brand story, preserve perception or build loyalty is lost.

Layered on top is the growing stock problem. Take the fashion industry, for example; overproduction and excess stock have quietly become one of the industry's biggest commercial liabilities. In 2023 alone, the industry produced between 2.5 and 5 billion surplus items. Not samples or seasonal leftovers, but finished products that never made it into the hands of customers.

Once products are marked down or sent to clearance channels, they can lose 25% to 32% of their value before warehousing, disposal or logistics are even factored in. What's often framed as a sustainability issue is equally a profitability crisis. And with new EU regulations on textile waste coming into force, the financial and reputational costs of excess inventory are becoming impossible to ignore.

But if the model is breaking for brands, it isn't working for students either. Generic platforms – whether large marketplaces, peer-to-peer resale sites or even local social channels like Facebook Marketplace – often feel anonymous, cluttered and, at times, unsafe. Scams affect both buyers and sellers, from counterfeit goods to failed payments. Nearly half of students (46%) hit by scams say it was purchase fraud – counterfeit goods, dodgy payments, no shows. The risk is only rising, and students are often left to carry the cost. Low prices may draw them in, but what they lose is trust, curation and a real sense of connection.

Layered on top of this is a values shift. Affordability still matters, but not at the expense of ethics, identity or experience. Students don't want shopping to feel like a transaction. They want it to feel like it's for them. The result is a model that leaves everyone short-changed. Brands absorb the financial and strategic burden of discounting and overproduction, while students are left with platforms that don't reflect how they want to shop or who they want to buy from. 

A smarter way for brands to show up 

If the old model leaves both brands and students short-changed, the solution isn't to walk away from the audience – it's to rethink how and where genuine connection happens. And for younger consumers, that connection looks very different from what came before.

Relevance, authenticity and values are the new baseline. And when those elements are missing, no amount of discounts can make up for it. Some brands have responded by setting up their own resale arms – like Patagonia and The North Face – while others turn to third-party marketplaces such as eBay to offload surplus stock. On paper, they make sense: they're low-effort, tap into existing audiences and protect full-price sales by reaching different customer segments. But while brand-owned resale sites can help with loyalty and community-building, they still don't solve the deeper challenge of cultural relevance with younger generations. And third-party platforms, like eBay, can be seen as being further removed – yes, they may shift product, but they rarely create that connection with students.

That's where curated, values-led marketplaces come in. Because they're built around student life, they offer more than a channel to shift stock; they create spaces that feel designed for the people using them. When brands engage through these platforms, the partnership itself becomes part of the value: it's authentic, it's endorsed, and it strips away the risk that comes with unverified peer-to-peer sites or social selling.

Crucially, this model builds affinity by giving students what they need, at times that matter most. Products can appear in curated drops and themed campaigns around key moments in the student calendar, whether that's Freshers' Week, Halloween, sports nights or graduation. These aren't cheap grabs for attention because they're moments that actually matter to students.

And while these connections begin digitally, they're reinforced in person. Physical activations still carry weight, but only when there's meaning behind them. Students see through generic coffee pop-ups or run clubs rolled out for convenience rather than connection. What resonates are activations rooted in culture and identity - not generic coffee pop-ups or run clubs, but collaborations that involve students directly and reflect their world. These kinds of collaborations feel authentic because they're tied to student life. The 'why' matters as much as the 'what.'

From a student perspective, the impact is clear. They gain access to second-hand prices without second-hand risk, to brands they recognise and trust, and to platforms that feel like they exist for them. The sense of community and credibility this creates is far more powerful than a discount code ever could be. 

For brands, the benefits run deeper. These partnerships provide a commercially viable way to shift surplus stock without damaging equity, open access to new audiences without cannibalising full-price sales, and create a route to meet sustainability goals and upcoming regulatory pressures without falling into greenwashing. 

Relevance itself is becoming a channel. These partnerships provide a commercially viable way to shift surplus stock without damaging equity, while also reaching students right at the start of their brand journey – building loyalty from day one. Those choosing to show up in the right spaces, with the right intent, through platforms designed for the next generation, will be the ones to succeed with the next generation of students.

The marketplace model of tomorrow

Students aren't waiting for better platforms; they're already moving to platforms that reflect their values, their budgets and their identity. It's a shift that's happening with or without the brands that serve them.

This is what platforms like Hazaar were built for: making trust, relevance and community the foundation of how brands connect with students. For businesses under pressure to adapt, these curated, values-led marketplaces are fast becoming the most credible way to connect with younger audiences.

At the end of the day, the next generation doesn't want to be 'reached,' they want to be understood. The spaces built around that expectation are where community becomes growth. For brands, the message is clear: convenience may have defined the last generation of shopping platforms, but connection will define the next.