Gen Z Is Shopping In-Store Again. Here’s How Brands Should Respond

Do you frequently check the pulse of Gen Z shopping behavior? If so, you might have noticed a significant and unexpected shift in the retail landscape.

For a while there, this generation (individuals born roughly between 1997 and 2012) was all about digital-first purchases and endless scrolling, but now they’re choosing to swap their screens for actual storefronts and checkout lines.

Understanding why this shift is happening and how to capitalize on it will give your brand a competitive edge in the marketplace.

The In-Store Comeback: Why Gen Z Is Driving a Retail Reversal

Not long ago, 54% of Gen Z said they would only shop online in the next decade¹. Given their status as internet natives who came of age when brick-and-mortar stores were either closed or had limited operations, this change made sense.

Now, 64% of Gen Zers prefer to shop in-store when discovering new products². Gen Xers are close behind at 62% and Millennials at a distant 43%, which highlights how unique and unexpected this generation’s pivot toward physical purchases is³. 

Additionally, about 50% of Gen Z said they would make purchases on retailer websites and apps, which was lower than for any other generation, except Baby Boomers. This low digital purchase rate reinforces that Gen Z is reshaping the retail landscape.

So, what caused the change? 

The answer is tied to psychological and cultural factors. First of all, let’s face it: Screen fatigue is real. After years of digital everything, Gen Z wants a tactile experience that online shopping simply cannot provide. IRL try-ons allow shoppers to touch fabrics, test products, and get an idea of the scale of the item in ways that AR filters can’t replicate.

The immediacy factor cannot be understated either. Despite growing up with same-day shipping, Gen Z is all about instant gratification, so being able to immediately pick an item up makes sense. There are also fewer hassles: no waiting, no lost shipments, and no risk of damaged or stolen packages.

We also need to mention the social validation Gen Zers get from being seen perusing the right stores. For instance, posting selfies at Forever 21 and H&M, or showing off Sephora’s shopping bags, are ways Gen Z showcases their taste and access to trendy brands that are popular with their peers⁴. After all, this is a generation that grew up curating their online image; for them, physical retail spaces are the ultimate backdrop to project their preferred self-image.

Speaking of social media, the omnipresence of TikTok has become the catalyst for the in-store shopping trends 2025 movement. Hashtags like #mallhaul, #shopwithme, and #instorefinds generate millions of views, essentially turning physical retail spaces into content creation studios. 

TikTok is the main way for Gen Z to discover items and trends. It’s used to create awareness and desire, while physical stores are their preferred method of purchase. As such, the discovery-to-purchase journey is the new tune brands must dance to.

Rethinking Paid Media: From Click-to-Buy to Click-to-Visit

Shifting Your Campaign Objectives

With in-store purchasing making a comeback, the traditional paid media playbook goes out the window. New Gen Z retail marketing strategies can’t solely focus on direct-to-consumer conversions. Instead, brands must change their messaging to drive in-store visits. They also need to create hybrid calls to action that bridge digital discovery with in-person purchasing. 

These changes are crucial for measuring what works and where to spend your money. If you’re optimizing only for online sales, you’ll miss most of Gen Z’s actual buying behavior. As a result, you’ll potentially invest in the wrong campaigns while ignoring what’s actually driving revenue.

Mastering Localized Paid Social

Localized paid social campaigns on Meta and TikTok should become the cornerstone of this new approach. Instead of one broad campaign hoping to hook everyone, you’re creating several hyper-targeted campaigns that speak to specific local markets, advertise store openings, and account for regional preferences.

Think of this Gen Z retail marketing strategy like opening several small neighborhood shops instead of one massive flagship location.

Creating Content That Drives Foot Traffic

The creative needs to match this shift. TikTok content should showcase in-store drops, limited retail activations, and exclusive products that can only be found in physical locations.

However, the real gold comes from user-generated content (UGC) featuring real customers in real stores⁵. UGC carries far more weight than polished studio shots because it offers genuine peer recommendations that showcase products in real-life settings. Even better: It builds brand credibility through trusted endorsements that feel authentic rather than promotional. 

Finally, UGC creates fear of missing out (FOMO) and social proof simultaneously, tapping into Gen Z’s FOMO while enticing immediate store visits before “the moment” passes.

Optimizing CTAs for Physical Visits

Store-specific CTAs are going to be a difference-maker here. Get rid of the generic “Shop Now” call to actions for “Find in Store,” “Check Local Availability,” or “Reserve for Pickup.” These small changes show Gen Z that you get their shopping journey. The language is also more actionable, which can further tempt them to buy. 

The best part? You can actually measure this stuff. You can track digital engagement and correlate it with foot traffic, then optimize based on real store visits instead of just online clicks. It’s like having a GPS for your marketing spend that shows exactly which digital touchpoints drive physical purchases.

Bridging the Gap with Omnichannel Measurement

Creating an effective omnichannel Gen Z strategy means connecting digital ad exposure to foot traffic and in-store sales. Without this connection, you can’t tell which digital investments drive people to your stores, which is like flying blindfolded through a blizzard.

Your best bet is adopting offline attribution frameworks that track customers from their first digital touchpoint to their final in-store purchase. Think of it as a bridge between two islands: your digital marketing on one side, physical sales on the other, with attribution connecting them.

Incrementality testing is also going to be a big deal here because you need to know if your digital campaigns are genuinely driving new foot traffic or just capturing people who would’ve shown up anyway. Set up control groups to measure the true lift your campaigns generate; otherwise, you might waste spend on ads that aren’t making a difference.

But here’s the thing: None of these solutions work in isolation. That’s where location-based tracking comes in. It reveals which digital touchpoints correlate with store visits, how long customers stay in-store after seeing your ads, and whether digital engagement leads to bigger purchases. Plus, there’s a bonus: Customers who visit stores often become more engaged online, too. As a result, you’ll have a positive feedback loop that benefits both channels.

Socium’s Take: Creative x Media x Measurement for Gen Z Retail Wins

The brands that strike the right chord with Gen Z understand that this isn’t just about tweaking one piece of the puzzle. Successfully capturing Gen Z’s return to stores requires a three-pronged approach. Specifically, it treats creative, media, and measurement as parts of the same machine instead of independent components.

The creative component must embrace the authentic, unpolished aesthetic that Gen Z values. This means less studio content and more real-world displays of products. Most importantly, content should feel like it could have been created by a friend rather than a marketing team. 

Remember, the core of marketing is about creating a connection, and a connection requires your audience to feel something. 

To that end, your media strategy needs to be hyper-localized and culturally aware, which means it can’t be cookie-cutter. What works in a mall in Phoenix might not resonate in Manhattan’s shopping districts. Brands need to cater to local culture, regional preferences, and city-specific shopping behaviors to create campaigns that feel relevant rather than antiseptic and generic.

Meanwhile, as we mentioned before, the measurement framework is the GPS that guides creative and media decisions with the necessary data. Without this guidance, you can’t tell which creative assets drive foot traffic, which media channels bring in your best customers, or how to split your budget between digital and physical touchpoints.

Socium’s integrated approach recognizes Gen Z’s shopping behavior is omnichannel. They discover on TikTok, research on Instagram, compare prices on websites, and purchase in stores. Making this journey feel effortless will help your brand capture a bigger slice of Gen Z’s growing spending power.

The retail landscape has come full circle, but it’s not the same circle we shopped in, and it’s certainly not the one our parents shopped in. Gen Z’s return to physical stores is informed by digital experiences and amplified by social media, yet driven by a desire for authentic connection that partially rejects major facets of an increasingly digital world.

Understanding this nuance is a tough needle to thread. Still, brands that recognize this shift and adapt their strategies accordingly will find themselves in an ideal position to capture Gen Z’s loyalty and spending power, which will only grow over the next several years.

Ready to Shift Your Strategy?

Ready to build your IRL strategy with the same rigor as your paid media plan? Let’s build the bridge between your digital presence and physical success.

FAQ

Why is Gen Z returning to in-store shopping when eCommerce is so convenient?

For Gen Z, in-person shopping offers a tactile, social, and often TikTok-worthy experience. It’s less about convenience and more about exploration, validation, and storytelling.

What channels work best for driving in-store Gen Z traffic?

TikTok and Meta are ideal for location-aware creative. Dynamic UGC paired with in-store exclusivity hooks (e.g., “only at SoHo”) drives urgency and FOMO.

How can I track the impact of digital media on in-store sales?

Use incrementality testing and platform-native foot traffic data, supported by holdout experiments and CRM/promo code integrations.

How often should in-store creative be refreshed to stay relevant to Gen Z?

Every 2–4 weeks, mirroring the creative refresh cadence used on TikTok or Meta. This group expects novelty, speed, and cultural alignment.

Sources

1. Yaqub, M. (October 24, 2024). 46+ Online Shopping Statistics: The Facts & Trends. BusinessDasher. Retrieved July 7, 2025, from https://www.businessdasher.com/online-shopping-statistics/
2. Nearly Two-Thirds of Gen Z Prefer In-Store Shopping to Online, New Study Finds. Lek. Retrieved July 7, 2025, from https://www.lek.com/press/nearly-two-thirds-gen-z-prefer-store-shopping-online-new-study-finds
3. Russell, Z. (April 18, 2025). Survey: Millennial e-commerce habits include…ChainStorage. Retrieved July 7, 2025, from https://chainstoreage.com/survey-millennial-e-commerce-habits-include
4. Petro, G. (December 27, 2024). Gen Z Leads Surge In Personal Care And Beauty Sales. Forbes. Retrieved July 7, 2025, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/gregpetro/2024/12/27/gen-z-leads-surge-in-personal-care-and-beauty-sales/
5. Understanding the Shift: How Gen Z’s Social Media Habits Are Transforming the Digital Landscape. The Future List. Retrieved July 7, 2025, from https://www.thefuturelist.com/understanding-the-shift-how-gen-zs-social-media-habits-are-transforming-the-digital-landscape/