429. YPulse. Shopping & Finance: Physical and Digital Converge.
September 17, 2026
Listen to full episode :
Young consumers increasingly say they prefer shopping in physical stores. But interpreting that as a return to the way people used to shop misses what is truly happening.
In today’s episode MaryLeigh Bliss, chief content officer at YPulse, discusses new research into how Gen Z, Gen Alpha and millennial consumers shop and manage money.
Here’s what the research shows:
• Physical retail is having a moment, but digital isn’t losing ground. Three-quarters of 13- to 39-year-olds say they prefer shopping in physical stores, while online shopping remains strong. Young consumers browse in stores and buy online, research online and buy in stores, moving fluidly between channels.
• The mall comeback is more nuanced than the headlines suggest. Mall visits have not returned to 2019 levels across the full age range. Teens are more likely to visit, with socializing an important part of the appeal.
• AI is joining the shopping journey. 53% use AI chatbots to answer questions about products, but most aren’t ready to let AI take control of the final transaction.
• How young consumers pay is changing too. Mobile wallet use is increasing, with young consumers moving among payment platforms depending on the transaction.
• Investing reveals a persistent gender gap. Young men and women express remarkably similar attitudes toward investing and interest in learning more, yet men are more likely to hold investments and cryptocurrency.
The larger opportunity for brands is at the intersection of these behaviors. Physical and digital aren’t separate shopping worlds for young consumers. Discovery, research, experience, payment and purchase increasingly move between them.
Understanding that movement may be far more useful than asking whether the future of shopping is online or in-store.
YPulse is the leading authority on Millennials and Gen Z: tweens, teens, college students and young adults. They provide strategic insight to companies and organizations via their subscription-based syndicated research content as well as their custom research and consulting services. Staffed with a cross-functional team of researchers, marketers, writers, and technologists, they give their clients a 360-degree view of what it’s like to be a Millennial or Gen Z today.
As Chief Content Officer, MaryLeigh Bliss oversees YPulse’s syndicated products. Her role also involves acting as a culture and youth insights expert, consulting with brands to identify actionable insights, align young consumer strategy, and layer generational and youth knowledge over data findings.
MaryLeigh has worked with a range of brands, including Facebook, Hampton, Bravo, HBO, Target, Best Buy, and Gap, and has been quoted as a youth insights authority by publications including The New York Times, Digiday, Business Insider, and Adweek. She has appeared as a Gen Z and Millennial expert on Bloomberg News, Fortune, and NPR Marketplace, and been a speaker at many off-sites and conferences. MaryLeigh’s interest in youth culture originated from her love of YA literature and pop culture anthropology, and she is continuing her passion for decoding and demystifying the next generations of consumers at YPulse.
Learn More:
Click here to sign up for Ypulse
MaryLeigh Bliss
YPulse