The trend: Retailers are expanding their footprint on college campuses.
- PacSun kicked off a college tour in late August with a pop-up in Columbus, Ohio, during the Ohio State–Texas football game. Shoppers could browse PacSun’s new college capsules and collaborations with The Wild Collective, a streetwear brand known for school-spirit apparel. Other school-themed pieces include cropped jerseys and skorts for women, plus hoodies and tees for men. Upcoming stops include Columbia, South Carolina, home to the University of South Carolina, and Ann Arbor, Michigan, home to the University of Michigan.
- Bath & Body Works will launch displays in over 600 college campus stores nationwide, which will be its largest distribution effort outside its own locations.
- Convenience chain Wawa recently opened a standalone store on Villanova University’s campus, while rival Buc-ee’s is selling more than 45 of its top products across three locations at Texas A&M’s College Station campus.
What’s driving this? College marks a pivotal moment when young consumers gain spending power and form lasting brand loyalties.
- Capturing that loyalty early could pay off: Gen Z’s spending power is projected to hit $12 trillion by 2030, according to NielsenIQ.
- Already, Gen Z spends more per capita than any other generation at the same age, and their expenditure is set to grow the fastest over the next six years.
Our take: Retailers are smart to meet consumers where they already are. By making their products convenient to college students, they increase the odds that those shoppers will give them a try—and potentially form lifelong brand connections.
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