Reinventing Retail for Gen Alpha: Insights from Gen City Labs Live

MK Granados
Gen City Labs
Published in
3 min readFeb 9, 2024

If you missed our last livestream- fear not, we’ve got your cliffnotes. Read on for highlights & ways to playback the broadcast.

In our latest Gen City Labs Live, we dove deep into the future of retail experiences with Mike Schaiman, alongside marketing and partnership heads MK Granados and Eric Arvai, and our special guest Pamela O’Kane from DGTL. Here’s what we uncovered about creating memorable brand experiences in physical and digital spaces.

“Integrating tech to make experiences seamless and memorable is key, especially for younger generations. It’s about taking them to another world.” — Pamela O’Kane of DGTL.

Image of Nike x Nordstrom installation. Red bench seating, illuminated wall of sneaker displays, and grid of retro style TVs surrounded by well dressed mannequins.
From DGTL: For the Nordstrom flagship in Manhattan, seventy-two ‘retro’ TVs evok a vintage feel but delivered modern experiences of shoppers previewing themselves in the latest fashions.

Innovative Retail Experiences: With an interactive examples of flagship installations by Nike, we explored how digital integrations create unforgettable in-store experiences and a more informed buying experience for products.

  • Generational Shifts: We discussed the distinct characteristics of Gen Alpha, emphasizing their digital nativity and the impact on retail expectations. Born the same year as the Apple iPad, the in-store experience that engages their senses is primed for disruption.
  • Immersive Technology: From RFID-enabled displays to augmented reality, technology is reshaping how consumers can interact with brands and products.
  • Sustainability and Personalization: Future retail will focus on eco-friendly practices and highly personalized experiences, using strategic tools including digital displays, AI and AR for deeper engagement.

Playback the broadcast:

Exploring the Future of Retail:

The future of retail lies in bridging the gap between digital convenience and the physical shopping experience, making each visit to a store unique and memorable. We’re looking at an era where retail spaces become immersive, interactive, and intimately tailored to each visitor’s preferences, powered by cutting-edge technology and sustainable practices.

“We are constantly building moments that we want to allow people to capture and share socially, creating a memorable, interactive journey for every customer.” — Mike Schaiman of Gen City Labs

You’re Invited

Join us for our next live session where we’ll be digging in on the opportunities for storytelling brands with the Apple Vision Pro headset. We’ll be joined by experienced immersive storytellers and developers to discuss the exciting new era of in-home interactive experiences for the world’s most innovative brands:

Interested in joining us as a guest panelist?

We’re on the lookout for more incredible guests across marketing, events and brand experiences. If you’re at the forefront of event leadership, brand growth, or entrepreneurship and have insights to share with our community, we’d love to hear from you and invite you to join us for a future livestream. Contact MK Granados for more info!

About Gen City Labs:

We’re a creative studio, crafting interactive experiences that captivate audiences and drive engagement. We collaborate with brands and agencies to bring their visions to life across both live and virtual channels. Our team of experts leverage the latest technologies to create showstopping storytelling within interactive pop-ups, activations, flagship retail, tradeshow booths, innovation centers and more. GCL is the trusted partner of choice for Fortune 500 brands and global agencies.

If you’re interested in learning more, get in touch at info@gencitylabs.io.

Follow us on social: LinkedIn, X (Twitter), YouTube, Instagram

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MK Granados
Gen City Labs

Cofounder + Marketing - GenCityLabs.com. MBA. Passionate about brand activations, experiential marketing, and sponsorship. Ex-Gartner & ReedPOP.