Malls Are Back (and They’re Basically the Real-World Algorithm)
What a trip to the mall can teach you about Gen Z + Alpha
Remember when everyone said malls were dead? Some are, that's true, but some are thriving, repositioned with heightened relevance. Walk into King of Prussia on a Saturday afternoon and it’s obvious the mall has evolved: it’s not just about shopping bags - it’s about content, connection, and postable micro-moments.
So if you want to understand Gen Z and Alphas, skip the decks and the data and go people-watch at the mall.
Prime fodder for the feed
The mall used to be about spending money. Now it’s about spending time. For Gen Z, being at the mall is a social activity first and a shopping trip second.
What I saw this week: friend groups in coordinated outfits sipping boba and Starbucks, filming TikToks between stores. Some shopping, some buying - but a lot more creating content, trying on identities, and scanning what’s “in” in real life.
It’s fascinating to watch how the energy moves. Some stores are pure scroll-stoppers—neon signs, mirror walls, selfie spots—while others feel like background noise. KOP gets this: the newer tenants are intentionally Instagrammable. The whole place has evolved into a living, scrolling feed you can walk through.
If you’re a brand or researcher trying to “get” Gen Z or Gen Alpha, a mall walk is your fieldwork.
Here’s what to look for:
Stores as Third places, encouraging people to come in and stay a while, lots more seating inside, photo backdrops, and an encouragement to film inside - something that used to raise eyebrows
How many phones are out vs. how many bags are carried?
What’s the vibe in the dressing rooms, mirror walls, and food spots?
A group of girls snapping pics outside Sephora tells you more about aspirational identity than any online survey ever will. You’ll see how they talk to each other about products, what they touch, what they show their friends, what earns a “you have to get that.”
Digital-native brands are thriving because they look like TikTok IRL
When Princess Polly opened at King of Prussia, it wasn’t just another store—it was a moment. The brand started online and built its following through influencers, edits, and mirror selfies. The in-person store literally mirrors that experience: bright lights, playlists that sound like your FYP, and racks set up to look like your saved Pinterest board.
This is the new playbook: if you’re not creating a physical space that people want to photograph themselves in, you’re already invisible.
Gen Alpha sees everything
Don’t underestimate the tween squads. They might still be tagging along with parents now, but they’re absorbing everything: the brands, the poses, the language. They’re future power consumers who are already fluent in aesthetics and brand codes before they even have debit cards.
At KOP, you’ll see 11-year-olds hanging out watching older teens hit Princess Polly or Aritzia. This is brand socialization 101. They’re learning what “cool” looks like by osmosis.
Why brands should care
Online data tells you what Gen Z clicks. The mall shows you what moves them.
You can’t read body language or peer-to-peer influence through a dashboard. Watching how they drift, linger, double-back, or grab a mirror selfie gives you insight into what drives belonging—and that’s the currency of every future-facing brand.
The mall is back not because of nostalgia, but because Gen Z and Alphas are re-hacking it into something social, shareable, and alive.
So if you’re serious about understanding the next gen of consumers, start with sneakers on the ground. Take a walk through then mall, and bring your researcher mindset.
Because out there, between Sephora and Starbucks, the future of consumer culture is literally hanging out.
