For the better part of this year, there’s been a growing narrative that Gen Z is bringing the mall back. If that sounds familiar, that’s because it is! Because time is a flat circle, and there were similar headlines about Gen Z saving the mall back in 2019, too. Recent coverage, though, points to a “renewed” interest in these once-iconic spaces of the ‘80s and ‘90s, and there are a few reasons why the story feels believable. The supposed resurgence is partly tied to Gen Z’s nostalgia-driven shopping habits. Brands like Gap and Victoria’s Secret—once staples of mall culture that...