Too bad Gen Z is probably too young to have seen a film that came out in 1971. Because Veruca Salt’s got their exact attitude when it comes to getting what they want (said with love). Which is why in-person shopping is having a serious comeback right now. While Millennials have kept Amazon Prime in business for the last decade, Gen Z are looking for instant gratification in the form of going to the mall, picking something out, and taking it home. But the return to mall trend is about more than the actual items being purchased. It’s the experience that Gen Z’s looking for… [here’s where the opportunity is for us]

- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡

Meanwhile other brands are going viral every week. Their secret? They're not working harder. They're using a system (and you need one, too).

At this workshop, Stanley Henry (1.4M followers, 1B+ views/year) teaches you that exact system live in just 90 minutes.

You'll learn:

✅The 1 thing you need to never run out of content ideas
✅How the biggest brands go viral on IG (plus what NOT to do)
✅How to create a repeatable content system (that doesn't take hours every day OR a creative team)

26 March | 11am NZDT | 9am AEDT | $79 NZD

Find out exactly how the biggest accounts are blowing up on IG (and how your brand can become one of them) 👇

That place is the earthside version of the pits of literal hell. You especially couldn’t get me to attend curated events by the app, like speakeasies, raves, or bowling for crying out loud. But, alas, I’m not the target audience. Gen Z is, and that’s exactly what Tinder is planning on doing to re-engage its user base and win over Gen Z daters. It’s also testing virtual speed dating, which, if I’m not mistaken, could just end up being Omegle 2.0. My thoughts and prayers are with y’all.

Tinder isn’t the only one gunning for a younger audience; iHeart Radio just partnered with TikTok to launch TikTok Radio and Podcasts. The new feature lets creators turn their TikTok content into radio shows and podcasts that live both on the app and across iHeart's massive network of stations. Genius for TikTok. Because it gives creators another revenue stream and keeps them locked into the platform instead of jumping to Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

For iHeart, it's access to TikTok's creator ecosystem and a younger audience they've been struggling to reach. But it's also another example of how every platform is trying to absorb every other medium. TikTok started as short-form video, then added long-form, then shopping, then live events, and now radio and podcasts. The goal is to make leaving the app feel like deprivation, to ensure that no matter what you want to consume, TikTok has a version of it.  Spooky.

Now, we’re coming into Autumn on this side of the planet. And right before I was about to descend into seasonal depresso mode, bam, there she was. A guardian angel. Dakota Johnson, in her Calvins, f*cking serving. And I was cured by her as the lepers were by Jesus. Effortless, clean, simultaneously cool and hot, in a pair of ripped jeans. This is what Calvin Klein is all about. And this is why they’ve won the campaign game for decades. No notes. 10/10. Chefs kiss. 

-Sophie Randell, Writer

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

-Sophie Randell, Writer

Today's clip comes from Drake's 2020 music video for "Laugh Now Cry Later ft. Lil Durk", filmed entirely at Nike's headquarters in Oregon. There's a scene where Drake and Odell Beckham Jr let out the most wide open, unhinged cackle you've ever seen, red cups in hand, absolutely losing it in slow-mo.

People are re-enacting that exact laugh and the clip that follows to represent the one laugh we all know well: the laugh with a hidden agenda. Laughing at your dad's jokes because you need his card. Laughing at your teacher's corniest material because you're one grade away from disaster. Laughing at your situationship's 20th bad joke because, well, you know.

Using the Laugh Now Cry Later Sound. Re-enact the Drake and OBJ laugh, with your on screen text explaining who you're laughing with and why, followed by inserting the clip from the MV.

A few ideas to get you started:

-abdel khalil, brand & marketing exec

😲WTF: Is this Illegal?!!!!
❤How wholesome: Kindness is so in
🎧Soooo tingly: Dog ASMR but it’s cute asf
🍝What you should make for dinner tonight: 15 Min Nasi Goreng

Hey Tom,

Contrary to popular belief, the algorithm isn't trying to suppress you or shadow ban you or any of that stuff people love to say when their content isn’t performing. It wants to push your content because if people enjoy it, they stay on the app longer and the platform makes more money. It's genuinely on your side. You just have to give it something to work with.

A lot of people get tripped up because their content is different every time they post. The algorithm has to guess who to send it to, and sometimes it just misses. When you post the same format consistently, it learns fast. It knows what your content looks like, who's responded well before, and exactly who to show it to next. So the best strategies are consistent enough that the algorithm understands who to show your content to.

- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡

We get it. Creating content that does numbers is harder than it looks. But doing those big numbers is the fastest way to grow your brand. So if you’re tired of throwing sh*t at the wall and seeing what sticks, you’re in luck. Because making our clients go viral is kinda what we do every single day.