In interviews reported in April 2025, Dubit asked 47 young people aged 8 to 18, half of them Roblox players, where they buy their clothes. All of them had downloaded retail apps, among them Shein, Nike, adidas, JD and Primark. They browsed them routinely for looks they liked, and each age band shopped its own way. The Roblox players were much more likely than the non-players to buy in the app rather than go into the store. The ones who dress an avatar online may simply be the ones already used to shopping online. This is qualitative research, so it describes how they shop, not how many shop that way.
The 8 to 11 year olds shopped at a mix of sports brands and high-street fashion retailers. They were the only group buying clothes at supermarkets, and their parents' choice and influence drove it. The 12 to 15 year olds shopped at the widest variety of retailers of any group. As they got older they were more likely to use pre-loved apps such as Vinted and Depop. The 16 to 18 year olds had a more specific, higher-end brand focus than the younger groups.
What do children want from virtual fashion?
The 47 young people Dubit interviewed wanted virtual fashion to mix all the parts of their lives: sports, hobbies, favourite TV shows and videos, influencers and real-world brands. Dubit's research with Roblox users has shown they would prioritise a branded item over an unbranded item, and would like more official branded items in the Marketplace. Those same users consider their online fashion choices parallel to their offline style.
Roblox style and real-world style run in parallel. Dubit's 2023 Metaverse Survey was a separate study from the 47 interviews: a quantitative survey of monthly Roblox users aged 8 to 29. Every Roblox-playing respondent in it said they shop in Roblox for items similar to what they have bought in real life. Agreement with "I want to dress my Roblox avatar in real fashion brands (e.g. Gucci, Forever 21) in the games/experiences I play" ran at 56% among 8 to 12 year olds, 59% among 13 to 16s, 60% among 17 to 24s and 51% among 25 to 29s.1
Do teenagers' avatars influence what they wear in real life?
In its trends report of 9 November 2023, Roblox reports that 84% of the Gen Z respondents to its survey say their physical style is at least somewhat inspired by their avatar's style. That survey asked 1,545 Gen Z respondents aged 14 to 26 in the US and UK.2 In the same 2023 Roblox survey, 54% said they are "very or extremely" inspired by what their avatar and other avatars wear.
On 16 December 2025 Roblox reported two online surveys, fielded in May and August 2025, of 1,600 Gen Z respondents in the US aged 13 to 28. All of them had used Roblox in the past 30 days.3 Roblox's December 2025 release says 88% use digital fashion to preview before buying physical clothing, and 70% have worn branded digital fashion. In the same Roblox release, 87% said experimenting with their avatar's style made them feel more comfortable expressing themselves in the real world. The 2023 and 2025 surveys asked different people in different markets, so their figures are not a trend.
Footnotes
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Dubit Metaverse Survey Questionnaire 2023. Statement: "I want to dress my Roblox avatar in real fashion brands (e.g. Gucci, Forever 21) in the games/experiences I play". Base: monthly Roblox users aged 8 to 12 (409), 13 to 16 (407), 17 to 24 (406) and 25 to 29 (409). ↩
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Roblox newsroom, 9 November 2023, "Insights From Our Latest Digital Expression, Fashion & Beauty Trends Report". Self-reported survey of 1,545 Gen Z users aged 14 to 26, 1,027 in the US and 518 in the UK, commissioned by Roblox from Qualtrics and fielded 27 to 29 September 2023. ↩
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Roblox Corporation press release, 16 December 2025, "Roblox Releases New Data Decoding Search and Style Trends in Digital Experiences". Two online surveys by Ipsos, in May and August 2025, of 1,600 Gen Z respondents in the US aged 13 to 28, all of whom had used Roblox in the past 30 days. ↩
