New Westfield Rise x Hello Sunshine Study Finds Gen Z Is Rebuilding Social Life at the Mall and Brands Need a Mall Strategy to Keep Up

Joint research finds malls are Gen Z’s modern “third space,” with Westfield Century City emerging as a blueprint for how physical destinations drive culture, commerce, and entertainment

LOS ANGELES, May 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new joint study from Sunnie, Hello Sunshine’s Gen Z–focused media, experiential, and lifestyle brand, and Westfield Rise US, the media and experiential company of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW), finds a fundamental shift in how Gen Z connects, discovers brands, and builds community: they’re doing it at the mall.

The study, The Comeback of the Hangout finds that as loneliness and social isolation rise, Gen Z is actively reclaiming shared physical spaces and malls have become their modern “third space.” This presents brands, entertainment companies, and creators with a clear opportunity: if you have a Gen Z strategy, you need a mall strategy.

Read the study here.

Gen Z chose the mall, brands need to follow
According to the study, Gen Z is leading a broader cultural return toward malls as places to connect without pressure or agenda. They’re showing up for the mix of entertainment, fashion, food, and “something new,” rewarding experiences that feel social, participatory, and worth leaving the house for.

Across a nationally representative sample of respondents and with on‑site Gen Z intercepts conducted at Westfield Century City, the study found:

• 73% say the mall is the top place to hang with friends
• 92% say that they're open to discovering something new at the mall
• 83% are likely to try or buy something unplanned when at the mall
• 72% would still go to the mall even if they couldn't buy anything

In an algorithm‑driven world, physical discovery is proving more powerful than ever. 44% cite malls/in-store combined as where they’d most likely to discover a brand they end up loving – and respondents were +10% more likely to discover a brand at the mall vs. TikTok. For Gen Z, the mall is an ‘offline group chat’ where brands move from seen to felt as Gen Z visitors often experience the mall without a clear plan for their time there.

“Gen Z is redefining what connection and community look like today,” said Mukta Chowdhary, VP of Brand at Hello Sunshine. “Our research with Westfield Rise shows that physical spaces like Century City aren’t just destinations, they’re cultural platforms where identity and entertainment intersect in ways digital alone can’t replicate; turning moments of discovery into lasting brand love beyond the algorithm.”

If you have a Gen Z strategy, you need a mall strategy

Across Westfield Rise’s portfolio of 13 flagship destinations in the United States and 71 globally, this shift is reshaping how the company builds media infrastructure, curates programming, and partners with brands, studios, and creators.

Westfield Century City: the blueprint in action

Westfield Century City welcomes more guests annually than some of L.A.’s most iconic destinations, like Disneyland. With its proximity to Hollywood, a highly engaged audience that skews Gen Z, and a growing roster of entertainment and brand activations, Century City has emerged as L.A.’s modern town square: where retail, entertainment, and culture intersect.

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.

“These insights point to more than culture; they signal real opportunity for brands. If you have a Gen Z strategy, you need a mall strategy,” said Kristen Jackman, SVP of Westfield Rise US, who previously held leadership roles at Twitter and the Sphere in Las Vegas.

“At Century City, we’ve intentionally built an ecosystem where immersive media and adaptable spaces come together to support everything from retail pop‑ups to large‑scale cultural moments. The result is a dynamic environment that goes beyond reflecting culture, it helps create it. It gives brands a powerful platform to engage Gen Z in a moment of discovery and intent.”

Where culture comes to life: The Centurion and the Westfield Rise Advertising Platform
To support this shift, Westfield Rise has continued to evolve Century City into a broadcast‑ready, event‑driven cultural hub for studios, streamers, creators, and brands. At the center of this investment is The Centurion, a recently launched, large‑format digital canvas located in Century City’s iconic Atrium.

Designed for premieres, live moments, and immersive storytelling, The Centurion features 300+ square feet of full motion video with 3D capabilities, enabling entertainment and brand moments to move fluidly from IRL to social across the broader Westfield Rise media and experiential ecosystem. See it in action.

The Gen Z IRL Playbook: how brands win in real life
The research points to four clear Gen Z behaviors and recent activations at Westfield Century City show how those behaviors come to life at scale.

1) Brand love happens IRL
Gen Z forms emotional connections with brands through shared, real world moments - not just messages.
At Westfield Century City, premium IP activations like Disney’s The Devil Wears Prada 2 premiere transformed the destination into a full-scale cultural moment, complete with a runway installation, an interactive “Runway Magazine” digital mirror experience, and a -large format- building wrap visible across the Century City skyline. Watch: The Devil Wears Prada 2 activation at Century City

2) Co-creation is the expectation
Gen Z wants to be part of the moment, not a passive bystander. That came to life over two weekends when over 20,000 people took part in Apple TV’s “Think Apple TV” Experience. Apple transformed the space into an immersive content destination, demonstrating how premium IP can move from screen to physical space and build fandom through participation with custom merchandise – guests had the ability to have a custom sweatshirt or tote from their favorite Apple TV franchise.

Fan immersion and co-creation continued with Zootopia 2’s large-scale activation at Westfield Century City, where guests leapt right into the adventure. The takeover included a turf play zone where families could play and snap photos, along with custom sets that brought scenes from the film into the real world. Across the property, a Snap Inc. powered AR experience allowed families to step into the world of Zootopia, posing with beloved characters that reinforced active participation over passive viewing.

3) Think in energy, not eyeballs
For Gen Z, impact is about atmosphere, momentum, and cultural charge – not just impressions. Across Westfield Rise destinations, brands leverage the network to show up at scale in high intent, high-energy environments. At Westfield Century City, that approach was on full display during Josie Maran’s Butter Bar Weekend, where over thousands of guests immersed themselves in a weekend long, sensory first activation featuring a whipped “ice cream” body butter bar, bubble infused scent moments, and a live DJ that kept the energy high and the content flowing. See it in action.

4) Plan for the unplanned
Some of the most powerful Gen Z moments are the ones no one came for. Billie Eilish fans stepped into the world of Hit Me Hard and Soft at Westfield Century City, transforming the property into an immersive destination for music, film, fandom, and culture.

The multi-day pop-up experience brought fans together through exclusive merch, giveaways, cinematic visuals, interactive photo moments, and a first-of-its-kind opportunity to connect with the artistry behind Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D) - all taking place within The Pop-Up, a dedicated experiential destination in the heart of The Atrium.

The pop-up culminated just steps away at AMC Century City 15 where fans gathered for screenings of the film in one of LA's most iconic entertainment destinations. Lucky movie watchers got the surprise of a lifetime when Billie herself made an appearance at AMC to connect with her fans.

"At Century City, we continue to see brands, artists, and studios embrace a new kind of storytelling ecosystem: one where physical space becomes media, retail becomes experienced, and fandom becomes community," said Kristen Jackman, SVP, Westfield Rise US.

Similar dynamics played out during Pinterest x NYX Professional Makeup's "Gimme Gummy" Bar, where trend-driven culture became tactile, social, and shared in real time.

A new scale playbook for brands and entertainment

What’s happening at Westfield Century City is part of a broader transformation across Westfield Rise. As entertainment and media companies rethink distribution and audience connection, Westfield Rise destinations are emerging as scalable, real world platforms: places where stories are experienced, not just viewed. From World Trade Center in New York City to Westfield Century City in Los Angeles, Westfield Rise serves 250 million discovery ready consumers each year across 13 U.S. flagship destinations and 71 globally. For partners ready to move beyond impressions and into culture, the mall isn’t just back: it’s the platform.

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.

Multimedia Resources
Video: The Westfield Rise Advertising Platform

Video: The Devil Wears Prada 2 Activation

Hello Sunshine & Sunnie x Westfield Rise Research Study: The Comeback of the Hangout

Photos: high‑resolution images, video and media kit available upon request.

About Westfield Rise US

Westfield Rise US is the media and experiential company of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW). We help brands connect with 250 million discovery-ready consumers each year through dynamic media, immersive experiences, Westfield-led programming, and strategic integrations across 13 flagship destinations in the United States and 71 globally. From World Trade Center in New York City to Westfield Century City in Los Angeles, Westfield Rise delivers premium audiences in iconic environments, operating at the intersection of media, culture, and experience.

Media Contact
Susie Hillman, Mercury
susie.hillman@omc.com
312-259-2850

About Hello Sunshine

Founded by Reese Witherspoon, Hello Sunshine puts women at the center of every story it creates, celebrates and discovers. Hello Sunshine tells stories across all platforms – from scripted and unscripted television, feature films, animated series, podcasts, audio storytelling, and digital series – all shining a light on where women are now and helping them chart a new path forward. Hello Sunshine is also home to Reese's Book Club. Fast growing in reach and influence, this community is propelled by meaningful connections with stories, authors, and fellow members. Sunnie, Hello Sunshine’s Gen Z–focused media, experiential, and lifestyle brand with a social-first book club, was created for and by the next generation of women.

Survey Methodology

For this perspective, the research combined in-person mall intercepts with national survey data to understand how Gen Z girls are spending time, connecting, and discovering in real-world environments, particularly the mall.

• In-person mall intercepts: On-site interviews at Westfield Century City (Los Angeles) with Gen Z girls (N=86; W13–29)
• Quantitative study (YPulse): Nationally fielded survey (N=1,500; A13–39; results shown based on a subset of W13–29)
• Quantitative study (Suzy): Rapid-response national survey (N=940; W18–29)
  
  

Fielding dates: December 2025 and March 2026

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2809312f-6393-4d36-88a9-d0be4a9b0da5

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/afe5574a-03c3-441b-82a5-528ede320794

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9144831f-3d10-4050-afd4-723165cf18be

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a3315ebc-bdd8-40ab-8c55-04406ca21d81

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