‘Am I paying for the vibes?’ Gen Z says it hates capitalism, but their spending patterns show they just don’t like being ripped off

Felipe W., a 20-something Yelp Elite reviewer in Dallas, put it bluntly when describing what he looks for before spending money at a new restaurant.

“In reviews, I want things that you can’t quantify so easily from the website or before you walk in. What makes it different than other places? What’s their business model like? Am I paying for the vibes?”

It’s a question that cuts to the center of a contradiction defining an entire generation’s economic behavior. Gen Z has built a reputation as anti-capitalist in spirit — skeptical of corporations, vocal about inequality, allergic to anything that feels like a corporate cash grab. And yet this is also the generation that will wait an hour in a TikTok-viral line for a bagel, a matcha, or a $9 pastry, driven by hashtags like #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt, which has racked up billions of views. New research from Yelp, conducted in partnership with Angus Reid Group, suggests the resolution to that contradiction isn’t ideological at all. It’s about trust.

New research from Yelp, conducted in partnership with Angus Reid Group, suggests the resolution to that contradiction isn’t ideological at all and Gen Z doesn’t hate capitalism as much as it says it does. It’s about value for money.

The myth of the impulsive spender

Gen Z has a reputation for spontaneous, hype-driven spending, but survey data tells a more complicated story. The research, based on a survey of 1,323 Americans ages 18 to 29 fielded by Angus Reid Group from Feb. 2 to 19, 2026, found that across every category tested, an overwhelming majority of Gen Z researches purchases on at least one platform before buying: 97% for restaurants, 94% for beauty, 93% for fitness and wellness, 92% for home services, and 84% for professional services.

That doesn’t mean Gen Z isn’t spending. Food remains the top outlet: 78% of respondents said they’d bought takeout or delivery in the past month, and 72% had dined out in person, with both categories up 45% year over year.

When a little extra cash lands in their pocket from a bonus or a gift, 74% said they’d put it toward dining out and 70% toward takeout. The picture isn’t a........

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