Does Gen Z use maps differently? Snapchat seems to think so, and this week TWIRM pinpoints its savvy new strategy to lure younger shoppers into physical stores from their phones.
TWIRM, as always, is the This Week in Retail Media podcast, where Kate Dickson, Head of Marketing and Communications, Retail Media Networks, STRATACACHE, and Jonathan Rosen, STRATACACHE’s Global EVP of Retail Media Strategy, dive deep into three retail media news stories that intrigue them, excite them and even, sometimes, “float” their proverbial boats.
This week, a Modern Retail story about Snapchat sets Kate and Jonathan’s boats afloat. The social media app is partnering with specialty fashion retailer American Eagle to integrate all 800 of its U.S. stores into its “Snap Map,” complete with AR jeans try-on filters. It’s a Gen Z-focused back-to-school bid to attract young shoppers with a real-world experience that feels organic and shareable, turning a jean-buying store visit into a content-worthy moment.
The strategy smartly recognizes that Gen Z doesn’t use maps to get directions but to explore and document moments in their lives. “There’s a conceptual shift in what it means to be in physical space for Gen Z,” notes Jonathan. “A map represents physical space in a way that’s probably more tangible for Gen Z than it is for us.”
After snapping to attention with Snapchat, Kate and Jonathan check in on Morrison’s new AI-powered product finder which uses AI to reinvent in-store navigation, and check out with Belgian chain Delhaize’s exclusive self-checkout access for its loyalty cardholders.
Click here to listen to Kate and Jonathan map out Snapchat’s AR-to-in-store push and more.
