Teens and twentysomethings are loving the (new) mall experience. For older gens, one of the main appeals of the mall was that it was a place to just hang out. For young people now, the mall is actually getting its glow back for the shopping—and the photo-ops. According to Circana data, young adults (18-24-years-old) bought 62% of all merchandise purchases IRL last year, compared to 52% of all shoppers over-25. For some, shopping IRL has become a way to get a feel for quality that they can’t get online and has even more instant gratification. (YPulse data also shows Gen Z prefers to buy most things in person.) But it’s not just legacy mall retailers benefitting from this. Once online-only brands like SKIMS and Edikted are moving into more and more permanent shops, drawing in their young brand fans with social media promos and experiential in-store sales, freebies, and backdrops. Even for luxury brands, connecting with Gen Z in-store is working: Coach and Kate Spade’s parent company reported double digit in-store sales growth in Q4 of 2025. (WSJ)
👀 Read more from YPulse: IRL or Online: Where Gen Z Is Really Shopping
