Generation Z store and experiential retail: Marine Layer, Abbode

The countless scroll could also be losing its luster – especially amongst younger generations.

According to a brand new study by , Generation Zers are more likely than older generations to schedule screen-free time into their each day lives speaker. They also engage in “granny-core” hobbies like knitting to take a break from their devices, NPR reported.

Additionally, in an age where every product conceivable is only a swipe or a click away, young consumers have also adopted some old-school shopping habits and preferences.

According to a recent study by the financial technology platform, over seventy percent of 18- to 27-year-olds said they shop in-store no less than once per week, in comparison with 65 percent of baby boomers Adyen. Additionally, in line with the survey, 57% of Generation Z view shopping locally as an experience, in comparison with just 35% of Baby Boomers.

So after greater than a decade of chasing digital growth, smart firms are slipping into old-fashioned consumer mode. However, a number of the most successful offer a up to date twist on the classic on-site shopping experience.

The power of experiential retail

Enter experiential retail, which generally strives so as to add a memorable—and Instagrammable—touch to in-person shopping.

Often with a customizable component like embroidery or engraving in an immersive, design-led environment, experiential retail plays on the (admittedly conflicting) desires for a real-world experience off-screen while creating an aesthetic cute enough to share on social media.

When it involves brand awareness and customer loyalty, effective in-store activations can turn out to be just as vital because the products purchased, if no more so.

Custom Club and Patch Bar pop-ups by Marine Layer

Mike Natenshon and Adam Lynch, co-founders of the San Francisco, California-based clothing brand marine layerrecently experienced firsthand the facility of strategic experiential retail.

Founded in 2009 – when Natenshon couldn’t discover a t-shirt that met his standards and began an organization to make one – Marine Layer is not any stranger to brick-and-mortar success. The company has greater than 50 stores within the United States and generated annual sales of $200 million last yr.

But last summer, the co-founders got down to create a distinct form of holiday shopping experience. “We wanted to give people the opportunity to express their personality a little more,” says Natenshon. “We wanted to have a big color expression and a temporary experience – something really special that people could try.”

Fewer items, more personalization

To that end, Marine Layer introduced two experimental pop-ups in October 2025, allowing customers to select from a smaller collection of things that they may personalize with embroidery and patches.

On Fillmore Street in San Francisco, the Custom Club represented a Californian aesthetic with rounded edges and light-weight partitions. Patch Bar, a Nineteen Thirties speakeasy reimagined “through the lens of 1970s nostalgia,” opened beneath the brand’s Nolita store in New York City.

“The team here [at Custom Club] And Patch Bar had to be a completely new operation,” says Lynch. “Everything is different than a standard Marine Layer store. [Down to] the way people interact with the patches. We had to change that [customization] Fill out forms three times and find out how the entire customer experience worked.”

Marine Layer’s efforts have paid off. Demand at each experience locations began strong – and only grew stronger.

The Custom Club became considered one of Marine Layer’s busiest stores, Natenshon says, recalling the nice response on social media and “the lines out the door.” Sales were so impressive that the co-founders prolonged the pop-ups, originally planned for the vacation season, until early 2026 to explore the potential of scaling the concept to other stores.

“Now we’re taking those insights and having more fun with it,” says Natenshon, “and coming up with different expressions every season. You never do something completely different, perfect, from the start. So this is the year we’re thinking about.”

Abbode’s Nolita storefront offers embroidered customizations

Abigail Price, founding father of a New York City-based embroidery business Abbode (Co-owner Daniel Kwak) also harnesses the facility of experiential retail.

In Price’s case, nonetheless, the non-public customization component of her business didn’t grow out of a widely known brand – she helped establish one.

Price opened a house decor store selling dried flowers and vintage pieces in New York City in May 2021, when rents were low throughout the pandemic. In early 2022, Price purchased a $15,000 embroidery machine “on a whim.” The machine sat within the basement for a couple of yr before Price hired someone to coach her employees on how one can use it. In March 2023, Price posted a TikTok offering free embroidery with any purchase. That’s when it began.

“People responded, and because the vintage wasn’t performing as well as it had in the beginning, we said, ” recalls Price. “So it was really a great opportunity.”

Personalization continues to realize momentum

Price points out that anything tactile (which AI cannot do) is now getting attention as people reply to the trendy twist on nostalgic items. For example, customers often tell her how she grew up with LL Bean backpacks that had her initials embroidered on them, or how her grandmother embroidered things for her.

“ Personalization [also feels] bigger than ever before because people want to stand out,” says Price, “and that’s so hard to achieve these days with trend cycles and fast fashion.” All of our pieces are pretty classic. It’s what you place on top, perhaps it’s trendy, or perhaps it’s something that actually speaks to you – that makes it last ceaselessly.”

The complex but growing business of customization

Abbode, which ended 2025 with $4 million in annual revenue, has consistently gone viral on social media, creating a robust snowball effect, Price says. The more people post their experiences in the shop, the more customers, inquiries and partnerships arise.

The company has also received quite a few requests for collaborations and pop-ups, in addition to partnerships with major brands equivalent to Charlotte Tilbury, Ritz Carlton and LL Bean, in line with Price Notes.

“The goal of this company is to provide customization to as many people as possible who want it,” Price says. “But this was really a challenge. There’s a reason why so many brands don’t offer customization like we do – because it’s so complex.”

Still, Price is confident the model will proceed to grow. “I know without a doubt that we will do it,” she says. “It’ll just take a little time.”

As more consumers gravitate towards experiences that feel tailored, practical and value leaving the home for, brands like Marine Layer and Abbode are proving that the subsequent chapter of retail may look just like the past – but with a personal touch.

The countless scroll could also be losing its luster – especially amongst younger generations.

According to a brand new study by , Generation Zers are more likely than older generations to schedule screen-free time into their each day lives speaker. They also engage in “granny-core” hobbies like knitting to take a break from their devices, NPR reported.

Additionally, in an age where every product conceivable is only a swipe or a click away, young consumers have also adopted some old-school shopping habits and preferences.