Emoji Can't Hug, But Real Friends Can: New Study by Ingka Centres Unveils Gen Zs Still Believe in the Power of In-Person Connection

• 66% of Gen Z prefer connecting with friends IRL (In Real Life), rather than meeting up and socialising online. Regardless of the digital savviness, they believe time spent together in person can help build trust (65%) and lead to more quality time (66%) 
• Ingka Centres, the global developer running 34 meeting places in 13 countries, launches its first Life in Communities report looking at how communities and the needs of people within them have changed 

MALMO, Sweden, Feb. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Research among 5,000 people in the US, China, Sweden, Spain and Poland conducted by Ingka Centres, global developer running 34 meeting places worldwide, spotlights emerging trends of how people of different ages, including Gen Z, in Europe, the US and China - relax, play and connect with others outside the home.

One of the many surprising findings is that 66% of Gen Zs prefer connecting with friends IRL (In Real Life), rather than meeting up and socialising online. Regardless of the digital savviness, they believe time spent together in person can help build trust (65%) and lead to more quality time (66%). According to the research, Gen Zs as well as adults of all ages are keen to bring more play into their daily lives, regardless of whether they have kids or not. Top activities Gen Zs love out of home include board games (18%), DIY (15%) and arts & crafts (12%).

Gen Z are craving safe and welcoming (30%), and cosy (23%) spaces from their ideal meeting place, with two in five (41%) of all ages surveyed citing relaxation areas as important. Many Gen Z suffer disproportionately from social anxiety when meeting face to face. The report finds that the degree of anxiety falls by age, with 42% of Gen Z vs 22% of Gen X and just 15% of Boomers experiencing such feelings.

When surveyed on the most important components of what a dream meeting place should look like, Gen Z cited an educational and entertaining space (28%), inclusive environment (23%), accessibility via public or personal transport (25%) and flexible spaces for individual use (24%) as highly ranked priorities. Meanwhile diverse food offerings (18%) sustainable solutions (15%) and access to co-working space for collaboration (16%) also featured as key considerations. 

Matt Drage, Global Communication & Marketing Director of Ingka Centres, said: "In our first ever Life in Communities report, we discovered many pretty cool things. Take our Gen Z respondents. Even though more than two in five of them feel a bit socially anxious about face-to-face meetings, and digital communities are really important to them, they still desire in-person connections. Whether they're hanging out with friends or making new ones, there's a real wish for spaces that are inclusive, welcoming and playful. It's clear, that there is a growing demand for places where people can come together, have fun, work together, and build a real sense of community." 

The Life in Communities report is at https://www.ingkacentres.com/en/what-we-do  

Notes to Editors 
The surveys were conducted online (CAWI, Computer-assisted web interviewing) among YouGov panellists in Sweden, Poland, Spain, the USA and China. Data was collected during the period 30 October – 19 November 2023.

About Ingka Centres: 
Ingka Centres is part of the Ingka Group (which also includes IKEA Retail and Ingka Investments). Ingka Centres has more than 40 years of experience in shopping centres and today works with over 3000 brands across its portfolio of 34 meeting places in 13 markets. More information: www.ingkacentres.com, LinkedIn, Facebook, X.