[NRF 2026 Analysis #05] What is the in-store experience that reaches Gen Z? Thinking about the future of "store experience" from the real voice of digital natives

Introduction

This article is presented as a unique insight from BEEATS, based on a report contributed to the fashion business media "Oui Speak Fashion® Japan" and incorporating perspectives from our overseas observation team, including President and CEO Mitsuhiro Kashiwagi and Executive Officer Kanta Nishimura.

In our previous article (#04 Can AI lead customers to "what they want"? Designing experiences based on "discovery" in fashion e-commerce), we examined the challenge of "discovery" in fashion e-commerce and the potential of AI from a perspective that also applies to real sales floor creation.

In this article, we consider the future of in-store experiences based on the Gen Z focus group session hosted by the denim brand "True Religion," from the perspective of purchasing behaviors, values, and how the digital-native Gen Z faces AI.

Gen Z does not decide to purchase based on a single point of contact

In considering Gen Z purchasing behavior, the first thing to note is that they do not rely on a single channel. Testimonies from Gen Z participants in the session reveal how they use various SNS platforms and channels depending on their objectives.

Platform	Main usage purposes
Pinterest	Idea searching in the initial stages of purchasing, such as collecting inspiration and creating mood boards
TikTok	Confirmation of real product feel and wearing scenes. Emphasis on honest reviews by "real people"
Instagram	Acquisition of official brand information and news. Checking product reviews by influencers
Reddit	Exploration of unbiased detailed reviews by real users, excluding sponsored content

^{※Reddit: A bulletin board-style SNS service originating in the United States}

Also, they tend to dislike aggressive information campaigns (push marketing) from brands. They engage in clever information management, such as creating email addresses dedicated to receiving marketing to protect themselves from a flood of information and only seeking information themselves when they have firmly decided to purchase.

For Gen Z, purchasing behavior is not a linear flow of "watching an ad," "going to the store," and "purchasing."

Meeting a product or brand that piques interest, verifying it with multiple information sources, and judging whether it is trustworthy for oneself. In that process, they go back and forth between online and offline, official information and user voices, and AI suggestions and human reviews.

What is required of brands is not to strengthen only specific channels, but to design a consistent experience that feels natural even when crossing various contact points.

An era chosen by quality and conviction rather than a "brand name"

Gen Z does not choose products based on the brand name alone.

In the session, the stance of emphasizing the quality and durability of the product itself and the "authenticity" behind it was discussed. The use of secondhand platforms to search for high-quality products that can be used for a long time, and the emphasis on functionality and utility such as "stretchiness that can handle salsa dancing" or "the presence of pockets" rather than the brand name, which are considered equal to or more important than design, were also introduced.

This change in values is also important when considering in-store experiences.

In the store, it is required not only to show the brand's worldview beautifully but also to convey why the product is chosen and what kind of value it has.

For example, product quality, usability and functionality, and the story behind it. A sales floor where customers can naturally encounter such information serves as a cue for them to make informed decisions based on their own values.

For Gen Z, stores may be beginning to play the role of a place to verify "if it suits me" and "if it is trustworthy," rather than just a place to pick up products.

AI is convenient. However, trust requires transparency and a human touch.

While valuing authentic voices and product quality, Gen Z is also using AI as a digital tool very rationally. During the session, it was mentioned that they use AI for their own purchasing behavior, such as using ChatGPT to search for discount codes or comparing prices across multiple retailers.

However, they are also taking a cautious look at the AI experiences provided by the brand side.

While appreciating AI that accurately suggests products that match their preferences, they are disappointed with suggestions that ignore usage scenes or social context. They feel distrust toward expressions that do not explicitly state they are AI-generated content. Even in customer service, while they welcome the efficiency of AI for routine inquiries, they show resistance to AI acting like a human.

What is evident here is that Gen Z is not rejecting AI, but is watching "how brands use AI."

While leaving things that can be streamlined to AI, they seek human support in situations where they want professional consultation or to be understood in their own context. This sense of balance is the indispensable perspective for considering future in-store experiences and digital measures.

Discovery and learning required of physical stores

It is precisely because we live in an era where so much information is available digitally that the value of physical stores is being re-evaluated.

In the action plan presented at the local session, it is stated that Gen Z is seeking "discovery" and "learning" experiences in physical stores. Stores are required to have a perspective of redefining themselves not as places just to sell products, but as spaces where one can come in contact with the brand's worldview and gain new inspiration.

• After gathering information online, see the real thing to verify.
• New interests are born from usages and combinations discovered for the first time at the store.
• Understanding of the brand is deepened through conversations with staff and the production of the space.

These experiences are real values that are difficult to complete with digital alone. If you are considering an in-store experience that reaches Gen Z, it is important to create a space where discovery and learning are born naturally, rather than just lining up products.

BEEATS VIEW: Thinking about floor development in the OMO era

The purchasing behavior of Gen Z shows the limitations of considering online and offline separately. To capture the hearts of those who go back and forth between SNS, reviews, AI, and stores, we at BEEATS believe that the following three perspectives are important in store development in the OMO era.

• Experience design that does not fragment contact points

It is important to smoothly connect SNS and Web experiences before visiting the store with the in-store experience during the visit.
If the information seen online and the impression received in-store are vastly different, understanding of the brand will be disrupted.
Rather than considering space, fixtures, signage, and staff guidance separately, designing them as a consistent "single brand experience" will deepen understanding of the brand in a more multidimensional way.

• Creating a sales floor that generates discovery and learning

Sales floors that reach Gen Z require triggers that make them think "I didn't know that" or "I want to try that."
By devising the design of details, such as fixtures that make it easy to pick up products, signage that can be intuitively understood, and flow lines that naturally generate conversation, the sales floor changes from a mere display space to a "place of discovery and learning."

• Remaining human value while utilizing digital

Store DX and AI are effective means of supporting the sales floor.
However, this does not mean everything should be automated. Gen Z values human touch alongside efficiency.
Digital technology should support information presentation and efficiency, while human responses should remain in areas requiring empathy or in-depth consultation. This division of roles will become important when considering future store experiences.

Creating Brand Experiences Together

What becomes clear from Gen Z's purchasing behavior is that considering real and digital separately is becoming insufficient for reaching them.
Gathering information online, utilizing AI, experiencing it in a physical store, and verifying credible information. In order for a brand to be chosen during such sophisticated and complex behavior, it is necessary to seamlessly connect initiatives at each contact point and design them as a consistent experience.

BEEATS will shape the latest retail trends obtained from this observation to fit the context of the Japanese market and support the creation of new brand experience spaces.

If you have challenges in next-generation store development, such as "wanting to create a sales floor that reaches Gen Z," "wanting to design sales promotion measures that link online and offline," or "wanting to enhance the brand experience by utilizing store space and digital signage," please feel free to consult us.

NRF2026 Report Now Available: "The Dawn of Agent Commerce"

We have released a digest report of "NRF 2026." Please download and use this 29-page report, which includes detailed explanations of the main sessions and solution analyses of 12 featured companies.※ Materials are available in Japanese only.

About this Joint Overseas Report Editorial Project

The original report forming the basis of this series is a joint editorial project between BEEATS CO., LTD. and World Mode Holdings Co., Ltd.

Detailed reports covering the event in New York by our President and CEO Mitsuhiro Kashiwagi and Executive Officer Kanta Nishimura are being published sequentially on the fashion business media "Oui Speak Fashion® Japan." Along with this insight, please be sure to read the main report, which is packed with both companies' perspectives.

Original Article
Vol. 5: Capturing the hearts of Gen Z ― The next-generation retail compass read from the real voices of digital natives

For more details on this joint editorial project, please see the following page.

Oui Speak Fashion® Japanhttps://ouispeakfashion.com/jp/