Meeting the Needs of Younger Shoppers with Accessible Leasing

Younger consumers—especially Millennials and Gen Z—are reshaping the retail landscape with their demand for flexibility, convenience, and mobile-first shopping experiences. These generations are redefining consumer payment preferences in real time, and retailers who adapt stand to gain meaningful loyalty and improved conversion rates.

A growing body of research shows that younger generations are moving away from traditional payment behavior and leaning heavily into digital-first and alternative checkout methods. For retailers, this shift underscores the importance of delivering a checkout experience that offers flexibility and inclusive access to durable goods that customers want, which is something the lease-to-own model is uniquely positioned to support.

Younger Generations Drive New Consumer Checkout Trends

Several new studies confirm what retailers have been sensing for years: payment expectations are evolving fast.

• Gen Z is accelerating a permanent shift toward digital and alternative payment options. Billtrust’s Gen Z and Digital Payments: 2025 Study reports that this generation overwhelmingly prefers mobile, app-based, and pay-over-time methods over credit. This generation will abandon purchases if their preferred checkout option isn’t offered.
• Younger shoppers expect frictionless, modern checkout experiences. NRG Payments’ 2025 generational analysis highlights that Millennials and Gen Z prioritize checkout speed. 
• Mobile-first shopping and commerce have become the norm. Mobile commerce remains a major share of online retail activity, reflecting how deeply smartphone-based shopping and checkout are embedded in consumer behavior. This reinforces the need for retailers to offer a checkout experience that’s optimized for mobile and aligned with flexible payment expectations.

These findings reveal a clear takeaway: Checkout flexibility is now a core part of the customer experience.

Why Checkout Choice Matters for Younger Shoppers

According to Mastercard’s 2025 insights on Gen Z’s expectations for banking and payments, this generation values control, convenience, and personalization above all else. They gravitate toward checkout options that fit the way they already manage their lives: digitally, seamlessly, and on their own terms.

Mastercard’s findings show:

• Gen Z prefers digital-first financial interactions, including mobile wallets, app-based management tools, and simple, embedded experiences that remove friction.
• They expect payment options that match their lifestyles, such as subscription-like structures, automated reminders, and flexible ways to manage cash flow.
• Personalization matters. Gen Z is more likely to stick with brands that tailor payment experiences to their needs—whether that means mobile-friendly tools, simplified approvals, or the ability to align payments with income cycles.
• Transparency and control are non-negotiables. They want payment paths that clearly communicate terms and allow them to manage spending without feeling locked into traditional credit mechanisms.

These expectations have become central to emerging consumer payment trends. Retailers who limit checkout options to credit or debit card payments may unintentionally exclude shoppers seeking alternatives. By offering a broader range of checkout choices—including lease-to-own—retailers can reach more customers, reduce cart abandonment, and support purchase confidence.

Where Lease-to-Own Fits Into Today’s Checkout Strategy

As checkout options evolve, consumers are pushing for alternatives that offer access to durable goods without relying on credit. Lease-to-own (LTO) stands out as a model designed for today’s younger, value-conscious shopper.

Key benefits for retailers include:

• Inclusive access for customers who prefer not to use credit. Gen Z in particular has lower credit card adoption rates (PYMNTS, 2025).
• Budget alignment. LTO lets shoppers obtain what they need while making optional monthly lease renewal payments.
• A seamless retailer-facing payment option. LTO can create a more complete checkout experience by adding flexibility without complicating operations.
• Higher conversion among digital-first shoppers. Baymard Institute finds that improving checkout flow and simplifying payment and form processes can increase conversion rate by as much as 35%.

LTO helps retailers serve a broader range of customer needs and removes affordability barriers that often jeopardize sales.

Why Retailers Choose Acima Leasing

Retailers looking to future-proof their checkout experience partner with Acima Leasing for the following reasons:

1. Alignment with younger shopper expectations. Lease-to-own through Acima Leasing provides the kind of flexibility and accessibility younger generations look for.
2. A more complete and modern checkout experience. Whether online or in store, Acima Leasing helps retailers offer an inclusive, frictionless option designed for today’s consumers.
3. Acima extends naturally into the mobile experience, including the Acima app, which gives customers a simple way to explore participating retailers and manage their lease-to-own experience on the go.
4. The ability to reach new customer segments. Adding LTO helps complete transactions with shoppers who might otherwise delay or walk away due to limited traditional payment options.

For retailers focused on growth, now is the moment to adapt to evolving consumer expectations, and LTO is a strategic way to do it.

Winning the Next Generation Starts with Flexibility

Younger generations are transforming how they shop and pay. Their preference for flexibility, mobile-first solutions and alternatives to credit is reshaping retail checkout expectations. 

By offering a lease-to-own solution through Acima Leasing, retailers can meet these shifting preferences, strengthen customer loyalty and capture more sales from younger, value-conscious shoppers.

Partnering with Acima Leasing helps you offer lease-to-own plans that fit the lifestyle and budget of younger consumers. Connect with us today to learn how we can help you capture and retain the next generation of shoppers.