New research from Galaxy Digestive Biscuits has revealed that nearly two thirds (65%) of Millennial and Gen Z women say female friends are the key to feeling more confident in all aspects of their life.

However, the research exposed a female friendship gap as a quarter (24%) of Gen Z women confess to feeling lonely at least once a week, with 44% putting this down to lack of close friendships and 41% feeling the pressure to have a big group of girlfriends to post on social media.

Nearly half of Millennials (49%) wish they had a larger friend group, with them seeing the key benefits of female friends as having other women to empower them (20%), offer advice and support around big decisions (40%), and have fun with (58%). While 15% think having more female friends would make them feel like they have a brighter future.

Whilst strong friendships are undoubtedly the goal, 91% shared that they have lost friends since leaving education, with the top reasons for this listed as moving, being too busy with work, and new relationships. Since reaching the age of 26, two thirds (64%) said they have struggled even more to make friends in comparison to their younger years due to lack of confidence (40%), spending more time with family/partners (35%) and priorities changing (29%).

According to the data, over a third (38%) of Gen Z women have just two or less close friends and over half (56%) feel awkward or nervous about going on a friend first date. Surprisingly, two in five (40%) find the idea of going on a first ‘friend date’ more nerve-wracking than a romantic first date

With friendships playing such a huge role in women’s daily lives, it’s no surprise that 40% of Gen Z women report their friends are crucial influences when making decisions in the workplace too, with over a quarter saying they’ve quit a job (27%), demanded a pay rise (18%) or even reported bullying (19%) after consulting with a bestie.

Over a third (41%) also shared they lack confidence in the workplace, with 46% admitting that they wouldn’t make a big decision at work without consulting a bestie first.

Moreover, over half (55%) of Millennial and Gen Z women surveyed think having a strong community of women around them outside of work would help them to succeed at work and reach their life goals. With one in five saying that building a community of women around them is one of their top goals for the year (19%).

To help women build their support network through new friendships, Galaxy Digestive Biscuits will launch the “Connections Café” with Young Women’s Trust so women can meet, bond and grow their community and confidence.

The biscuit-inspired pop-up will provide a warm and welcoming setting for women looking to expand their community and build lasting bonds, whilst enjoying a delicious bespoke menu of FREE biscuit-inspired beverages and sweet treats.

There will also be the opportunity for guests to get involved with a bespoke Connect 4 activity, and meet inspiring women from the charity, Young Women’s Trust, who recognise the power of building female networks to improve job prospects and supporting young women to thrive. Women will be able to find out more about the charity and how they support young women, as well as expand their female network.

Priya Pathak, Marketing Manager at MARS Drinks & Treats Mars Wrigley Confectionery said: “Our data shows that women want a community of other women around them to lift them up and empower them in all aspects of their lives. But we can also see that there’s a real gap between wanting that friendship group that offers support for the major decisions in life and being able to find it in adulthood. When women thrive, we all thrive, so we hope our Connections Café with Young Women’s Trust will provide a welcoming space for women to create empowering relationships over a delicious Galaxy Digestive Biscuit.”

Claire Reindorp, Chief Executive at Young Women’s Trust, said: “There is real power in building networks with peers in all areas of life but particularly when it comes to the world of work. We know from our research that increasing knowledge, having strong networks and building self belief can help young women improve their job prospects and ultimately raise their incomes. We’re really happy to be supporting this campaign and facilitating these crucial conversations through the Connections Café.”

The pop-up will be open on Wednesday, 25th September 2024 at BloomsYard, Regents Place, 286 Euston Rd, NW1 3DP between 5:30pm – 7:30pm for women to meet after work. Exclusive FREE tickets for the ‘Connections Café’ can be booked through Design My Night.