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.
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. Western Europe report is based on a survey of 2500 13-39-year-olds in the U.K., France, Germany, Spain, and Italy (n=500 for each country), fielded July 9-15, 2026.
