
Gen Z 2026: Navigating the New Trend Cycle
Marie Schwartz caught up with MaryLeigh Bliss from Ypulse at NRF to talk Gen Z in 2026. The old marketing playbooks? They’re history. The 20-year trend cycle is over. MaryLeigh explains how social media has created a "firehose" of fragmented trends where Gen Z is nostalgic for everything at once. Whether it’s a 90s reboot or a meme from two weeks ago, the pace is moving faster than most retailers can keep up with. We’re also seeing the rise of the "AI Detective." Gen Z is hunting for glitches and demanding that AI-generated content be clearly labeled. Transparency is now a requirement for…
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