In the digital age, nearly everything is accessible online — entertainment, shopping, friendship, you name it. With a few taps on a screen, we can order three pairs of jeans, have a pizza delivered, and carry on a meaningful conversation without ever leaving the couch. Considering that Generation Z — those born roughly between 1996 and 2013 — has grown up immersed in this digital reality, it would be easy to assume they have little interest in traditional, in-person experiences. Surprisingly, the opposite is true. From pop-ups, influencers, to retail, Gen Z are securing their Labubus to their bags and heading out the door to shake up our understanding of successful contemporary retail experiences. After coming of age during COVID, living through what has been called an “epidemic of loneliness,” Gen Z is craving in person experiences more than ever, and where better to go with your friends than the mall? A reported 69 percent of Gen Z shoppers say they prefer shopping in brick-and-mortar stores over online alternatives. However, their renewed interest in physical spaces doesn’t mean a return to retail as we once knew it. Instead, Gen Z is fundamentally reshaping what in-person shopping and entertainment look like …
