I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it (and it’s saving the mall)

I’m not kidding when I say I spent my entire adolescence at the mall.

It was THE place to be, to meet friends, boys from other schools, try on clothes I couldn’t afford, cause chaos in the parking lot. It was a place where you felt like you were part of something. Every weekend.

The mall was our third space before we knew what a third space was. So when I read yesterday that Gen Z is reviving mall culture, I felt a ton of nostalgic bricks hit me at once. These digital natives - the generation we all assumed would shop exclusively online - are the ones bringing malls back to life.

And the reason is instant gratification. The same impulse I personally thought would kill physical retail is actually saving it.

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Gen Z wants it now, and the mall delivers.

Shoppers aged 18-24 bought 62% of their merchandise in stores last year - 10% more than shoppers 25 and older. For a generation raised on same-day shipping and instant downloads, you'd think in-person shopping would have zero appeal. But physical stores give them something online shopping can't: they see it, they like it, they want it, they got it. No shipping delays. No return hassles. Immediate possession.

About 30% of Gen Z says the ability to get items immediately is a top reason they shop in person. Another 28% cite the value of experiencing products in real life before buying. The instant gratification isn't just about speed - it's about the tactile, in-the-moment experience of touching something, trying it on, and walking out with it.

Researchers at USC's Marshall School of Business explain it perfectly: this digitally savvy generation is used to having things immediately through downloads and streaming. That expectation for instant access translates to physical products too. If they can download a movie in seconds, why should they wait three days for a sweater?

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But it’s not all about the shopping, either.

More than 60% of Gen Z visits malls to socialise, 42% see it as a social activity. These are kids who spent their formative years in COVID lockdowns, missing crucial developmental experiences of hanging out in physical spaces with friends. The mall has become their town square.

Yeah, they’re buying stuff. But they're also lingering over meals, taking fitting room selfies, meeting friends, discovering new brands. 52% are likely to share something they like online through photos or messages. The mall provides content backdrops for social media while also being a break from their phones. And that's wild considering how chronically online this generation is.

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Malls are responding by evolving beyond traditional retail.

They're adding immersive pop-ups, AR experiences, entertainment centres, photo-worthy installations, culinary concepts that are as Instagrammable as they are delicious.

Netflix is partnering with malls for live screenings and replicas of sets from popular shows. Digital-native brands that built followings on social media are opening brick-and-mortar locations.

The mall of 2026 is less a transactional space and more a meeting place. It's somewhere young consumers hang out, socialise, and have experiences worth sharing.

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We spent years assuming instant gratification would kill industries.

That Gen Z's impatience would mean the death of anything requiring waiting or physical presence. But the opposite is happening.

The same impulse that makes them want everything immediately is driving them to physical spaces that can deliver instant satisfaction.

Think about what else this could revive or transform. Physical bookstores offering instant book recommendations and reading nooks, or vinyl record stores where you can listen before buying and walk out with something tangible. Even art galleries with pieces you can purchase and take home immediately or craft markets where you meet the maker and leave with their work.

The instant gratification impulse is literally just changing what those experiences need to deliver. They need to be immediate, social, shareable, and offer something digital channels fundamentally can't replicate.

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The unexpected upside to all of this...

It might actually help Gen Z’s financial behaviour.

In an era when impulse buying is just a click away - with impulse purchases costing consumers around $2,000 annually - physically walking into stores encourages more mindful purchasing decisions.

When you use cash or physical cards in-store, you get a real-time sense of how much you're spending. The tangible nature of in-store shopping helps build better budgeting skills and avoids hidden fees like return shipping costs that add up quickly when shopping online.

Plus, instant gratification in physical spaces requires you to actually have the money right now. Online shopping with buy-now-pay-later options lets you defer that reality. The mall forces financial accountability in real time.

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If instant gratification is reviving malls, what else could it bring back?

Arcades where you play physical games instead of downloading them. Photo booths (my fave) that print pictures on the spot. Polaroid cameras making a comeback because you get the photo instantly. Same-day tailoring services. Pick-your-own farms where you leave with fresh produce immediately.

Any experience that can deliver immediate, tangible results while also providing social connection and shareable moments has potential. The key is understanding that instant gratification doesn't mean shallow or meaningless - it means no artificial waiting imposed by logistics or systems that could be faster.

Gen Z doesn't want to wait for shipping when they could have the item now.

They don't want to scroll through photos of experiences when they could be living the experience or parasocial relationships when they could have real human connection.

Turns out Ariana Grande was onto something. I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it - and in 2026, that means heading to the mall.

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