The Millennials Challenge: Turning Browsing Into Buying

4. Shift the product offering. Some have dubbed millennials "Generation Rent" because they prefer short-term usage over owning. For example, they might use Airbnb in various locations instead of owning a home. Or use Uber or Lyft instead of buying and using their own car. Research from Edmunds.com points to a 30 percent drop in the number of cars purchased by millennials from 2007 to 2011. Companies should explore changing business models to allow the "renting" of their product or develop content that shows the benefits of ownership.