Key stat: 66% of UK/US parents say their children ages 10-15 significantly influence clothing, shoes, and accessories purchases, making it the top category where Gen Alpha sways family spending, according to a November 2025 study from Teneo.

Beyond the chart:

• The influence adds up fast. Gen Alphas influence 42% of household spending on average, and that share climbs to 49% in high-income households, according to DKC News, putting this cohort behind more than $250 billion in US consumer spending.
• Yet this influence is personal, not algorithmic. Only 25% of 15-year-olds in the US and UK trust online ads, and just 23% trust people they see on social media, according to Teneo, suggesting that Gen Alpha's purchasing power flows through parents and peers rather than ad feeds.

Use this chart: Drop this in your next brand or retail strategy deck to show that Gen Alpha is already shaping family spending across categories. Use the 66% clothing figure to justify youth-focused positioning. Show this to teams still treating kids as a future audience rather than a current one.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• Gen Alpha Digital Habits 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)
• Generational Trends to Watch in 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)

Methodology: Data is from the January 2026 Teneo "Meet Gen Alpha: The Hidden Force Behind Over $250bn of U.S. Consumer Spending," 1,000 Gen Alpha children ages 10-15 (born between 2010 and 2024) and their parents (n=500 US, n=500 UK) were surveyed during October 29-November 3, 2025. The samples were nationally representative by geography.

We prepared this article with the assistance of generative AI tools and stand behind its accuracy, quality, and originality.