I visited 2 busy malls in Southern California on Black Friday and saw how Gen Zers and millennials are saving the shopping extravaganza

Brittany Chang/Insider

• I visited two malls in Orange County, California on Black Friday and found plenty of foot traffic.
• The Irvine Spectrum was filled with groups of teenagers and long lines to get into stores like Urban Outfitters.

I visited two popular shopping malls in Orange County, California during the morning of Black Friday and was shocked to see both were full of shoppers.

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It seems like in-person Black Friday shopping and malls aren't dead as long as teenagers and young adults are ready to spend.

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The "retail apocalypse" was nowhere to be seen at the popular Irvine Spectrum Center the morning of Black Friday.

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Despite the general downfall of malls, the 1.2 million-square-foot outdoor center has continued to be a go-to spot for after-school hang-outs, family dinners, and leisurely weekend shopping trips.

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Source: City of Irvine

And Black Friday was no exception to this generally strong foot traffic.

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When I arrived at the palm tree-lined Irvine Spectrum Center shortly before 8:30 a.m., I was greeted by a stream of cars scouring open parking spots.

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And despite the relatively early hours, the mall was already bustling with people.

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It wasn't as crowded as a typical Saturday afternoon. But for 8:30 a.m., the foot traffic was impressive.

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But there weren't as many families or couples as I had expected.

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Instead, it looked like over half of the consumers were groups of Gen Zers shopping with their friends.

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And this young but powerful demographic seemed to dictate the number of customers inside each shop.

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Stores like Nordstrom and Anthropologie were quiet with only a handful of shoppers.

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But the same couldn't be said for Lululemon.

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Inside, the popular athletic apparel store was packed with long checkout lines reminiscent of Black Friday before the rise of online shopping and COVID-19.

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Similarly, the lines just to get into Urban Outfitters and Swish Studios — a sneaker and streetwear shop — were almost a dozen people long …

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… and consisted mostly of young shoppers.

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Stores like Garage and Levi's were also packed with these younger consumers.

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But at this hour, some Gen Z-beloved brands like Brandy Melville, Tilly's …

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… Pacsun, Vans, and H&M were relatively quiet with only a handful of people filing in and out.

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None of these stores had lines out the door yet.

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But they all had belt barriers set up in anticipation for larger crowds later in the day.

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To my surprise, Old Navy had a robust crowd with a long checkout line, although the age of customers here looked more varied.

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But in general, it seemed like fast fashion stores catered towards young consumers were winning big in the early hours of this year's Black Friday shopping fiasco at the Irvine Spectrum Center.

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I had no doubt the outdoor mall would be significantly more packed later in the day, likely with a more varied demographic.

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But in the morning, Gen Zers looked like they were dominating the mall.

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At South Coast Plaza, the largest luxury mall on the West Coast, the scene was somewhat similar.

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Source: South Coast Plaza

The 2.8 million-square-foot mall is filled with over 275 restaurants and stores …

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… including high-end retailers like Versace, Yves Saint Laurent, Hermes, and Chanel.

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But when I arrived a few minutes past 9:30 a.m., only a handful of people, if any, were milling around these luxury stores.

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It was quiet at the likes of Celine, Rolex, and Burberry.

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This should be no surprise: Many premium brands don't have Black Friday deals.

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And high-income shoppers aren't as impacted by inflation, which means there's less urgency to hunt for discounts, Neil Saunders, GlobalData's retail analyst, told Insider.

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Instead, like the Irvine Spectrum Center, most of the crowds were centered around a handful of brands that target younger consumers.

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The long checkout lines …

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… disheveled displays …

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… and general bustle at the mall's Madewell and Zara looked busier than I've seen during normal retail hours.

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Instead of teenagters, these stores were primarily filled with what looked to be late-Gen Zers and millennials, although the shoppers at South Coast Plaza often seem to skew older because of the number of luxury retailers.

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Meanwhile, Aritzia was buzzing with customers waiting in a surprisingly long dressing room line.

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And there were plenty of shoppers fluttering around Lacoste, Sephora …

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… Bath and Body Works, Uniqlo, and Victoria's Secret.

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The two-floor Forever 21, which historically failed to appeal to Gen Zers before its bankruptcy, was nearly empty.

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Source: Insider

But to my surprise, the Lego Store had one of the longest lines at the door. It looked like most of these shoppers were families or parents.

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Overall, there seemed to be more families, late Gen Z,ers and millennials at South Coast Plaza.

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But brands like Zara and Madewell, which generally appeal to younger demographics, looked like some of the shopping center's most popular stores.

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Across both malls, it's evident the in-person Black Friday shopping extravaganza is not just an event of the past.

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But this trend isn't specific to just Orange County, California.

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According to Saunders, in-person Black Friday shopping is back, especially for young shoppers and brands that already see plenty of commercial success.

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"Old habits seemed to have resumed after the disruption of COVID-19," Saunders said. "The younger consumer is really powering a lot of that. It's very noticeable in stores that cater to the younger demographic."

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It's a social event for these shoppers, Saunders says. A time for young friends to see each after spending Thanksgiving Day with their families.

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And for brands that already see strong sales throughout the year by targeting younger consumers, it's a time to "strengthen the success trend," Saunders said.

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So as long as brands that target Gen Zers and millennials are offering deals, young shoppers will come flocking.

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