Gen Z is turning into big-time mallrats

Getty Images; Pedro Nekoi for BI

Last year, David Martin was showing a prospective tenant around Brickell City Centre, an open-air mall he helps manage in downtown Miami. The man was an executive from FP Movement, part of the bohemian clothing brand Free People, and Martin was hoping he would decide to lease a shop in the mall. Teens and young professionals have been drawn to Brickell's palm-tree-lined backdrops and distinctive glass and steel trellis, which are featured regularly on TikTok, along with the elaborate CrazyShake milkshakes from Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer.