- Report
- Behavioral
- Report
- Behavioral
North America
Shopping and Retail Report
In-person shopping is having a moment this year, even as most young consumers still shop online day-to-day. YPulse’s newest Shopping and Retail Behavioral Report finds that the majority of 13-39-year-olds now shop in a physical store regularly, up notably from last year, and most would rather buy in-store than online, a sizable jump from 2025. But their preference isn’t just about convenience: most young consumers agree every store should feel like an experience, and roughly half say stores double as a place to hang out with friends, a feeling that’s even more common among teens. Big box retailers and dollar stores are still where young consumers shop most, though most also want specialty brands to set up shop inside their fave mass merch retailers. Meanwhile, AI and gaming platforms are quietly becoming big shopping channels for Gen Z, with about half having used AI to research a product and many already spending real money inside Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft.
In YPulse’s 2026 Shopping and Retail Report, we explore why mall visits still haven’t returned to pre-pandemic levels despite headlines about a Gen Z mall revival, how young consumers want AI’s help researching products rather than placing orders for them, and why gaming platforms like Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft are legitimate shopping destinations for Gen Z.
Download the full report for further insights
- Why in-person shopping is having a moment this year, and how the eventification of retail is pulling young shoppers back into stores
- Why big box and dollar stores remain the everyday default, and how specialty brands are winning shoppers over through shop-in-shop partnerships instead of standalone stores
- How POC, LGBTQ+, and college student shoppers diverge in where and how they shop, from TikTok Shop habits to social-media-driven purchases
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Report length: 20 pages, North America report is based on a survey of 1500 13-39-year-olds in the U.S. and Canada (n=1000 U.S., n=500 Canada), fielded July 7–15, 2026.
Additional content for Pro users:
The full item-by-item breakdown of how young consumers prefer to shop for specific categories like clothes, shoes, tech devices, and groceries, the complete list of in-person retail experiences they’re seeking out beyond free samples, from product customization to pop-up stores and in-store events, how usage of resale and discount apps like Amazon Haul, Temu, and Shein compares to TikTok Shop, and which additional membership programs young consumers pay for beyond Amazon Prime, including Walmart+, Costco, and Target Circle 360.
The Data File also includes data split by the following demographics: Gender & Generation, Age Groups, Academic Status, Race & Ethnicity, POC, Country, Urban/Rural Status, LGBTQ+, Family Status, and Household Income.
