The Digital Overload
Digital is everywhere. All day, every day. Swiping, tapping, streaming, it’s constant. And somewhere along the way, retailers got the idea that people wanted more of it. More screens. More AI-powered dressing rooms. More QR code scavenger hunts. Because if technology is the future, shouldn’t we cram as much of it as possible into the shopping experience?
As it turns out, no. Especially not for Gen Z. This might seem counter-intuitive but actually it makes total sense. This generation is digital-first, they are comfortable online, sure. They grew up with it. But that’s exactly why it doesn’t excite or surprise them much. When everyone goes digital, digital becomes invisible. It’s wallpaper. The novelty fades fast. And for Gen Z, who live online all the time, it’s not magic. It’s maintenance.
A report by eMarketer shows that 51.9% of Gen Z prefers discovering new brands in-store over websites and apps. Why? Because they can feel the product. They can explore. They can take a break from the endless stream of online content.
New L.E.K. reports that 64% of Gen Z prefers in-person experiences. And yet, brands keep pouring money into making their stores look like websites. It’s the wrong answer to the wrong question.
The Search for Authenticity
They go shopping for something digital can’t give them: Surprise. Discovery. The chance to be part of the experience. Of something new.
Meanwhile, there are still examples to be excited about. Printemps New York opened a couple of weeks ago doing the opposite of digital overload. They stripped the tech back to almost nothing. Why? Because they understood something crucial: young consumers don’t want another screen. They want an experience.
When Printemps decided to dial down the digital and dial up the human
When you walk into Printemps, you’re not bombarded with glowing walls or fancy interfaces. Instead, you’re surrounded by curated art installations, rich textures, and spaces designed to be touched, felt, experienced. The analogue moments, the ones that truly be part of.
Printemps aren’t just being clever. They are being authentic. They are listening. The best brands aren’t the ones that throw the most technology at a problem. They’re the ones that create moments worth remembering. 
The Right Question to Ask
Instead of asking, “How can we make our stores more digital?” we should be asking, “How can we bring our stores more alive? How can we excite and inspire customers?”
The return of pop-up shops, art installations, curated experiences, they’re not nostalgic. They’re essential. Gen Z doesn’t just want to buy something. They want to feel something. And guess what, so do the rest of us.
Digital in retail isn’t dead. It’s just overplayed. And the brands that get it right are the ones that remember what it feels like to walk into a place that makes you say, “Wow.”
Author: Harmen Schepers, Creative Services Director
https://www.emarketer.com/content/3-things-know-about-gen-z-in-store-shopping-habits?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-yorks-hottest-new-department-store-has-almost-no-tech-af182859
https://www.lek.com/press/nearly-two-thirds-gen-z-prefer-store-shopping-online-new-study-finds
