Helen Cowie, Centre Director at Eldon Square, explores how shifting Gen Z behaviours are accelerating the move from transactional to experience-led retail.
For many years, retail success has been driven by commerciality. In today’s market, that measure is no longer fit for purpose, with the retail sector increasingly embracing a social, experience-led approach in which leisure, dining, and cultural experiences carry as much weight as the products themselves. Successful destinations no longer just facilitate purchases; they give people a reason to stay, engage and return.
This shift is in part driven by Gen Z, a cohort that accounts for around 39% of total retail spend1 according to a 2024 study. Having grown up with seamless access to purchasing products online, convenience is no longer a key driver for this audience. Instead, their expectations of retail are shifting to experience and discovery, raising the bar for what destinations must offer to attract and retain their attention.
As a result, retail destinations should be evolving into ‘third space’ environments, where people can spend time, socialise and connect in between home and work or study. Particularly in accessible city-centre locations, this means seamlessly blending retail and leisure to create more compelling, community-led environments. For Gen Z, who are more reliant on technology and social media for social interaction,2 destinations that enable spontaneous meetups and shared experiences will also be best placed to capitalise on this shift, driving both footfall and sales.
Recognising this, Eldon Square has focused on building deeper, more meaningful engagement with this cohort through specific campaigns and a future facing leasing strategy. Evolving beyond a traditional retail offer, Eldon Square brings an experiential offer that further strengthens its appeal to younger audiences. This is complemented by a continued focus on the in-centre experience at Eldon Square, from dedicated hosts welcoming visitors at entrances to roaming customer service teams on hand throughout the mall, helping to create a more engaging, supportive and seamless experiences.
In comparison to other generations, Gen Z are allocating a greater share of their income towards experiences such as food, drink and social activities.3 As such, Eldon Square is already responding to this through key leasing developments and openings of new F&B and leisure spots including Chit ‘n’ Chaat, Maki & Ramen, Wingstop and Flight Club. Looking ahead, the launch of Freight Island at Eldon Square will also provide an experiential offering that will further strengthen Eldon Square’s appeal to younger audiences. By introducing a dynamic, day-to-night destination centred around food, entertainment and social connection. It will play a critical role in driving footfall and reinforces Eldon Square’s position as a next-generation retail destination.
Furthermore, connecting with Gen Z through a robust campaign strategy, Eldon Square’s Student Night event provides a clear example of how this shift translates into commercial impact. The 2025 event saw over 40,000 visits during event hours, up 14.3% compared to the previous year, and the uplift translated into a 2.5% increase in sales, demonstrating how a targeted campaign strategy not only drives footfall, but actively supported Eldon Square’s continued evolution into an experience-led environment.
This momentum is reflected across Eldon Square’s wider events programme, with Health & Wellbeing activity, a key category for the Gen Z audience, also delivering strong year-on-year growth in both footfall and engagement. Footfall for March’s Self Care Weekend event footfall saw a like-for-like uplift of 19.3% compared to last year’s event. The continued growth in performance across these moments highlights a clear shift in customer behaviour, where experience-led events are not only attracting visitors, but encouraging repeat visits and deeper engagement with the centre.
For landlords and asset managers, the implication is clear: retail strategy can no longer be approached as purely transactional. Instead, it must be seen as part of a broader experience, one that prioritises creating destinations which encourage longer stays, social interaction, and repeat visits.
For more information on Eldon Square please visit www.eldonsquare.co.uk
