When it comes to finding the perfect Christmas presents, younger Americans are heading back to the shopping mall 1200 WOAI news reports.
The trend may be baffling to their parents, who are more accustomed to buying things online, but experts say there are several factors driving the teens and 20-somethings to brick-and-mortar stores this season.
"This generation, going through COVID, coupled with the influence of social media. And then the whole aspect of instant gratification," Randy Holcombe, with Northstar Mall and The Shops At La Cantera, says.
San Antonio's two biggest malls have been bustling since before Thanksgiving, he says. This Holiday's compressed timeline has put the normal Christmas rush into overdrive. They're taking advantage of this relatively new popularity with Instagrammable experiences. There are photo walls for selfies, he says, and live music.
Holcombe says that Gen-Z craves In Real Life experiences that they can share online.
"They'll all be taking photos. And posting them immediately," he explains. "Then they get feedback from their friends, online, giving their opinion on what to buy."
This trend is not exclusive to San Antonio. Or even Texas. Ali Phillips with Brookfield Properties says they're seeing young people going to their properties just to hang out, probably like their parents did in the 90s.
"In California, we have Stonestown Galleria. It's right near one of the high schools. And it's a bustling mall. People love to hang out at the mall."
She says, in a post-COVID world, there's a desire to go back into public and be around crowds again.
Mall popularity popped on the radar earlier this year, thanks to a study done by the accounting firm Ernst and Young. It found that 57% of consumers want to see, touch and feel items before they buy them. Spokesman Michael Curtis writes that, despite the convenience of shopping online, consumers still crave the personal service that only in-store shopping can provide.
"In a further sign that consumers are favoring physical store visits, 61% say they would go to a retailer for a store promotion that is not available online."