Millennials at the Mall

By Virginia Prescott on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.

With school back in session, the mall is eerily quiet during the day. Visit during an evening or weekend and you’ll see packs of young people browsing, shopping and socializing. Malls have long been gathering places for teenagers, but teens and twenty-somethings of today are packing a little more might. There are 84 million of them, the largest segment of the U.S. population. They're wired and check online sales before making the trip to the mall.

Generation Y spends more than previous generations of teens – over 200 billion dollars a year. In the current economy, retailers are looking to them for a boost. For more on this we’re joined by consumer research scholar Kit Yarrow. She teaches marketing and psychology at Golden Gate university. Her new book, co-written with USA Today reporter Jayne O’Donnell, is Gen BuY: how Tweens, Teens and Twenty-Somethings are Revolutionizing Retail.

(Photo by Merlijn Hoek via Flickr/Creative Commons)

Add new comment

Word of Mouth is all about what's new. Online and on-air, the show looks at our fascinating and ever-changing world, and puts the latest ideas under a microscope. Word of Mouth investigates everything from science and technology, to health and the environment, to new trends in popular culture. The show airs Monday through Thursday at noon and is hosted by Virginia Prescott.

Say what you want to say. How you want to say it. We want to hear from you.

Word of Mouth is on the move! Sign up for our podcast and take the show wherever you go.

Past Shows
Mar 18, 2010 | Link
Mar 17, 2010 | Link
Mar 16, 2010 | Link
Mar 15, 2010 | Link

Support From

Corporation for Public Broadcasting

The TD Charitable Foundation

The Next Green Thing

is supported by

Public Service of New Hampshire
committed to clean energy solutions
New Hampshire Electric Co-op
Here's What's Awesome

Cool projects, great gadgets and awesomellany from Internet Sherpa Brady Carlson