Eighty percent of Gen Z respondents, defined as those born between 1996 and 2005, said they are the ones who choose and buy beverages for their families, the report by market research firm Nielsen said.
Seventy one percent said the same about snacks such as cookies, chips and sweets.
Over half said they make the decision on what to do and where to go for a family night out, and four out of 10 said they decide what gadgets to buy at home.
Nguyen Huong Quynh, managing director of Nielsen Vietnam, said: “Young people today can observe, request and select goods with parents’ permission during a shopping session. They can even make their own shopping decisions.”
She added that the increasing number of double-income families in Vietnam is giving children more decision-making authority in purchasing household items.
But Gen Z is not known for loyalty to brands, with almost four out of 10 respondents saying they are willing to try a new brand though they have a favorite brand.
Only 16 percent said they select a brand carefully and do not want to change it later.
“The desire to try and experience new things is what makes Gen Z stand out,” Quynh said, adding that the best way for brands to reach out to this generation is via multiple channels, both online and traditional.
The report also said that Gen Z people spend a considerable amount of time on social networks just like the previous generation, the Millennials, born between 1988 and 1995.
Ninety nine percent of Gen Z respondents have a Facebook account and 64 percent are on YouTube.
Their world revolves around technology, with 45 percent saying they cannot live without smartphones and 21 percent saying the same about the Internet.
Their favorite activities are watching TV, with 90 percent saying they have watched TV every day for the last 30 days.
Eighty one percent described bubble tea shops as their favorite hangouts, while 30 percent said convenience stores.
The survey found a striking difference between Gen Z and Millennials: 68 percent of Gen Z respondents chose going to a friend’s house as their favorite activity, while only 15 percent of Millennials did so.
This generation would account for a fifth of Vietnam’s workforce, or 15 million people, by 2025, Nielsen said.
The survey polled 370 people in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, with 210 of them Gen Z and 160 of them Millennials.