For years, malls have been on the verge of death. Could online fatigue change that?<\/p>\n
Older generations grew up watching many facets of life shift from IRL to online, including shopping. But as younger generations search for places outside of home and school to hang out and watch as creators encourage them to visit stores in person, it\u2019s possible that a reversal could be taking place. A survey from retail consultancy MG2 Advisory recently found that 73% of Gen Alpha prefers good ol\u2019 fashioned brick-and-mortar shopping to buying online.<\/p>\n
\u201cTeenage life now looks a lot different than it did for previous generations,\u201d Beni Brown, global director of strategy at creator agency Buttermilk, told Marketing Brew, adding that \u201cit\u2019s really interesting to see how they maximize their time in these third spaces because they don\u2019t have a lot of other places to congregate safely amongst themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the \u201cSephora tween\u201d phenomenon in 2024 sparked some concerns around the potential challenges that come with teenagers loitering in retail spaces, Brown noted that many brands (including Sephora) have since come around on the subject.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrands are starting to really understand that to future-proof their business, they have to speak to these audiences younger and younger because they set their affinities way younger than we did in previous generations,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n
As a result, many retailers are investing in in-store experiences and creator strategies to draw young shoppers in and offer them the chance to stay a while.<\/p>\n
Stay a while<\/strong><\/h2>\nTo increase dwell times, Brown said some retailers are offering everything from in-store coffee shops and DJ sets to interactive activations like product trials and pop-up events.<\/p>\n
\u201cRetail has really been transforming itself into more of a showroom experience,\u201d she said, citing Aritzia and Lush as two examples. \u201cA lot of brands are making it feel more like a destination space, rather than just the space [for] a transaction.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hollister, which has a primarily Gen Z and Gen Alpha customer base, has in recent years hosted concerts in its stores, Joanna Ewing, SVP of creative marketing, told us. A key component of each Hollister campaign is figuring out how to bring it to life in store settings, she said, and in its most recent campaign with singer Gigi Perez, the brand played a music video produced for the campaign in select stores alongside photo booths where customers could create keychains and other memorabilia tied to the campaign.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are an unapologetic mall brand in the best way possible,\u201d Ewing said. \u201cWe know how valuable the tangible is to our customer, be that going to the mall with people and connecting, or [forming] these memories that we touch on throughout the aesthetic of the campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n
To further increase dwell time, Ewing said Hollister has put a lot of thought into the in-store details, providing comfortable seating and lighting in addition to offering perks like places to hang bags and charge phones.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe third space is all about the details, and we see that being a huge part of the journey,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
It all starts online<\/strong><\/h2>\nAcross the US, malls are transforming to add services and experiences, ranging from gyms to bowling, in an effort to encourage visitors of all ages. Having options beyond shopping is part of the appeal for younger visitors especially, Brown said, citing recent statistics that show that the youth are also driving movie theater attendance.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt isn\u2019t being driven solely to stores to see the new Rhode [product],\u201d she said. \u201cThe mall experience is part of a wider piece.\u201d<\/p>\n
In general, Brown said that much of Gen Alpha\u2019s desire for IRL experiences is informed by what they see online, including creator content, making it important for marketers not to separate their retail strategy from their social strategy.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople pull apart IRL and URL too far,\u201d Brown said. \u201cIt\u2019s about finding the inspiration, the spark online, but [customers] want to know the product that they\u2019re buying, feel it, taste it, touch it, get to grips of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ewing acknowledged that \u201cthe mall today is not the Mall of 20 years ago at all,\u201d and said that\u2019s \u201csomething that [Hollister gives] a lot of thought to throughout all of [its] platforms, but especially social media.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brown said she\u2019s increasingly seen sales associates and creators making content in retail spaces to encourage people to visit\u2014organic content that some brands, like Staples, have found success with. Aerie CMO Stacey McCormick told us that she views the brand\u2019s 500+ stores as hubs where creator partners can film and work with associates to build stronger ties with the brand.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur digital business is strong, but our store business is really strong because we know that the connection is made at that store level,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Seeing creators in stores via posts and vlogs can motivate Gen Alpha to visit stores, Brown said, especially when there\u2019s a sense that they can only get the full experience in person.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is this exclusivity-driver that is happening that is making people go to stores,\u201d she said. \u201cCreators are making content that is like, \u2018I know [a product] is sold out here, but I found it in this store\u2019\u2026and it becomes a bit of a fun, engaging treasure hunt for [viewers].\u201d<\/p>\n
Unlike older generations, Brown said Gen Alpha isn\u2019t always looking for speed or ease of purchase when shopping. Instead, it\u2019s more about the journey.<\/p>\n
\u201cGen Alpha doesn\u2019t operate on convenience,\u201d she said. \u201cThey operate on, \u2018Does this give me a sense of social community and currency?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe third space is all about the details, and we see that being a huge part of the journey,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n