A thousand memes—and reports—have been launched to try and understand Gen Z, and we’ve spent most of May doing that ourselves. Retail Brew put together five charts that define the generation, which is estimated to have nearly $150 billion in spending power. It includes the amount of time Zoomers spend on TikTok, their favorite e-comm sites, and the percentage that use buy now, pay later now (and later).

We also went straight to the source and spoke to Meagan Loyst, a 25-year-old “elder Gen Z” investor at Lerer Hippeau (the youngest at the VC firm), about the customs and rituals of these mysterious creatures.

One excerpt from our Q&A:

Is there a supposed insight that retail executives think they know about Gen Z, but that’s only half-right or just wrong?

I would argue that most Gen Zers don’t purchase things solely because they’re sustainable. Shein is a great example of that…Shein hauls have [more than] 5.1 billion views on TikTok, and a majority of their users are Gen Z. Shein is the total opposite of what a sustainable brand looks like: They’re quintessential fast fashion. The assumption that Gen Z are buying things just because they’re sustainable and good for the world is just a misconception because there’s a bunch of factors that go into the buying decision at the end of the day.

Hair us out: Speaking of TikTok, new hair-care brands—like Hally Hair and Insert Name Here—are capitalizing on what’s going viral on the platform to capture the attention of Gen Z. But they’re also aligning their products with the needs, values, and budgets of these shoppers to (hopefully) outlast the frenzied trend cycle.

• “Gen Z, they have a million and one options,” Kathryn Winokur, Hally’s founder and CEO, told us. “It goes into their decision-making set. ‘Is this product good for me? What are their stances on the environment? What are their opinions on mental health?’ All that is very much core to their consideration set.”

Real talk: But it’s not *just* about TikTok. This year, BeReal has emerged as Gen Z’s new favorite social media app. We learned more about how Chipotle is experimenting with the platform—and why analysts think other brands might also want to try.

Click here to read the stories in full.—GT

May saw a lot of retail CEOs on the move—here are some of the most notable moves among company chiefs:

• Glossier founder Emily Weiss announced she’s stepping down as CEO, shifting to executive chairwoman of the board. Chief Commercial Officer Kyle Leahy is set to replace her.
• Under Armour president and CEO Patrik Frisk is departing his role as president and CEO on June 1, with COO Colin Browne stepping in as interim CEO.
• Meghan Davis has been appointed CEO of period-underwear maker Thinx, following Maria Molland, who recently left the position.
• After 12 years with the outdoor brand, Damien Huang exited his role as CEO of Eddie Bauer, which he took on last year. Huang is now president of Cotopaxi, according to his LinkedIn, and a successor at Eddie Bauer has yet to be named.
• Following an investigation into complaints about “serious financial irregularities,” fashion commerce platform Zilingo fired its co-founder and CEO, Ankiti Bose.
• Andrew Meslow resigned from his position as CEO and board member of Bath & Body Works.
• Belk CEO Nir Patel left his position to join GameStop as COO. Belk president and COO Don Hednricks was named interim CEO.

CEOs aren’t the only ones moving on—other executive switch-ups include:

• Heiko Schäfer hopped from his role as COO at Hugo Boss to join Swiss outdoor company Mammut Sports Group as CEO.
• Kohl’s lost two execs: Chief Merchandising Officer Doug Howe and CMO Greg Revelle.
• Chobani CFO Jody Macedonio became the latest departure from the yogurt company’s C-suite.
• Plus, Carhartt named former Fossil VP of e-comm, Chad Cornstubble, as its new SVP of DTC.—EC

Today’s top retail reads.

Morebucks: The fast-food restaurants with the biggest price hikes: Starbucks tops the list. (Eat This, Not That)

To-go containers: The treasures that wash ashore when shipping containers go overboard: “[A] ship sailing from Singapore to New York lost sixty-five containers overboard, triggering a wave of news coverage and a bunch of recipe-for-disaster jokes, since the ship had been carrying tens of thousands of copies of two freshly printed cookbooks: Melissa Clark’s Dinner in One and Mason Hereford’s Turkey and the Wolf.” (The New Yorker)

Cautionary tail: Rat sightings and complaints in NYC are skyrocketing (and some city officials say all the outdoor dining could be a contributing factor). (Gothamist)

Looking for more? Retail Brew’s latest article dives into Chipotle’s recent experiment with social media platform BeReal. Click here for the article, sponsored by Edelman.*

^{*This is sponsored advertising content.}

What happened in the world of retail this week in…1885 and beyond? Retail Brew takes you way, way, way back.

Let’s step right into the week:

• On May 29, 1885, the shoe-lasting machine, created by African American inventor Jan Matzeliger, would be tested at a factory for the first time—and change the shoemaking industry. Shoe prices dropped in half. For the first time in America, inexpensive, well-made shoes became available.
• On the same day, but 15 years later, in 1900, Charles Seeberger of the Otis Elevator Company was granted a trademark for “escalator.” He would later lose the trademark, leading to it becoming a generic term. The real winners at the end of the day? Mall-goers.
• On May 30, 1911, it was game over for Milton Bradley, the American business magnate who created board games like The Game of Life (then called The Checkered Game of Life), when he died at 74.
• On June 2, 1851, Maine became the first state to ban alcohol sales.

Catch up on the Retail Brew stories you may have missed.

• Google wants to bring more “inspiration” to shopping online
• Bold Metrics, which helps online shoppers order the right size, scores $8 million in funding
• Tools of the trade: How an Ohio saloonkeeper came up with the cash register