As the oldest members of Gen Alpha prepare to turn 16 next year, they have more purchasing power than ever before.

For retailers, that means the race is on to understand how to connect with a generation that is not only digitally native but has grown up with an expectation for an active, back-and-forth relationship with brands.

“The thing that fascinates me about this generation is that the world is literally at their fingertips and they’re naturally curious,” said Sasha Junk, president at Kidz Bop, during a panel at Advertising Week New York. ”The access to information is not like it’s ever been before and I think it’s really tapping into kids’ natural curiosity.”

Here’s what retailers should know about where Gen Alpha is already earning money and what matters to them as consumers.

What money they have

Gen Alpha’s purchasing power isn’t a consideration for the far-flung future; many in the cohort are already earning money and ready to spend it now.

• Over half (53%) of US teens ages 15-16 currently receive over $100 a month, according to a July 2025 survey of their parents by Attest, featured in "The Gen Alpha Report: The Autonomous Generation."
• While 21% of the surveyed teens receive between $51 and $100 a month, nearly 14% receive more than $300 a month.

Teens are earning their money in a variety of ways, revealing the entrepreneurial nature of the younger generation.

• Over a quarter (26%) of Gen Alpha teens have part-time jobs, and one-fifth earn through undertakings like babysitting or dog walking, according to Attest.
• Meanwhile, almost 6 in 10 (58%) receive an allowance from parents, and almost half are paid for doing chores.

Gen Alpha teens are also showing strong financial literacy, with many having bank accounts and savings.

• Almost half (48%) have over $1,000 in savings, based on Attest’s data. In 2017, only 31% of Gen Zers had over $1,000 saved.
• Nearly a third of Gen Alpha teens have a traditional bank account, 28% have a digital bank account, and 51% have a dedicated savings account.
• Over half (51%) have debit cards, and 29% have prepaid cards, per Attest.

How they spend it

Armed with cash of their own, Gen Alpha is ready to shop. But it can be difficult for brands and retailers to track what will catch their eye.

“Gen Alpha is very trend-focused,” said Marc Elrick, CEO and founder at Byoma, during a panel at Advertising Week New York. “Social media influences their purchase decisions, but they also want to be at the forefront of trends and cultural relevance. That makes them very fickle.”

Food, and specifically fast food, is already a prime spending location for Gen Alpha teens. Some 28% of 15- to 16-year-olds eat at a fast food location or order takeout multiple times a week, according to Attest’s report, and another 28% do so every week.

For Gen Alpha, digital storefronts have already become a primary location to spend their money.

• Some 21% of teens make in-game purchases, buy apps, or download games weekly, per Attest.
• Almost one-third (30%) buy digital items a few times a month, and 18% buy monthly.

Teens also are drawn to spend on personal care and cosmetics items, whether it’s weekly (18%), multiple times a month (30%), or once a month (25%), according to Attest.

• Gen Alpha buys clothes slightly less often than personal care and cosmetics items, whether weekly (13%), a few times a month (25%), or monthly (21%).

Gen Alpha’s emerging values

This year has already shown retailers what can happen if they disregard consumers’ values or recant what they had previously espoused.

• For example, when Target and Walmart announced they would scale back DEI programs, the decisions led to a 24-hour economic blackout in February, a 40-day Target boycott in March, and a weeklong Walmart boycott in April.

Young consumers entering the market are already making it known that they care about social issues. In fact, only 11% of surveyed parents said that their teens expressed no interest in any social issues, according to Attest.

Environmental and animal issues are the largest causes to catch Gen Alpha’s attention, with nearly 37% saying they care deeply about those causes.

• Additionally, 30% of teens care about women’s rights, poverty, inequality, and racism, Attest found.
• Beyond that, 26% expressed interest in politics, 25% in religion, and 22% in global conflict.

“What I love about Gen Z and Gen Alpha is that if you build a community around them, they’ll build that brand and they’ll come on that journey with you,” said Elrick. “It’s so powerful to spend your time building a community that really does align with your brand values and invest in that community.”

This was originally featured in the Retail Daily newsletter. For more retail insights, statistics, and trends, subscribe here.