Gen Z is nostalgic for 2016 amid economic unease. Mall brands like Abercrombie & Fitch may see a revival

TL;DR

According to cnbc.com, if you've been online the past month at all, you likely encountered at least one hyper-saturated, neon-colored throwback post captioned somewhat along the lines of: "2026 is the new 2016." What started as a social media meme could be lighting the fire for a broader shift in the cultural zeitgeist that might also boost retail brands synonymous with the era.