Gen Z will travel 95 minutes and queue an hour for a business they found online

Social discovery is translating into physical footfall for independent shops, cafés and restaurants, according to new research from American Express. Its Hype to High Street study found that 80% of Gen Z consumers have visited an independent business after seeing it on social media, with many willing to travel over 90 minutes.

The behaviour Amex dubs a "viral pilgrimage" is both quick to act on and repeated. More than half of Gen Z visit within a week of discovering a business online, one in five have built a full day out around a trending spot, and 61% return after a first visit. Many are willing to wait once there, queuing an average of 56 minutes for in-demand products.

The commercial upside sits with small operators: analysis by Retail Economics estimates independents now capture 47% of Gen Z's social-influenced high street spending.

"Social media discovery is translating directly into visits and spending with small, independent businesses," said Dan Edelman, general manager of UK Merchant Services at American Express, pointing to Gen Z's growing spending power as an opportunity for high streets.

For operators, the takeaway is less about chasing virality than about what earns the trip. The businesses winning here trade on something a scroll can't replicate: a distinctive in-person experience worth queuing, travelling and posting about. In an age of frictionless eCommerce, the physical store is becoming a brand-building asset in its own right, and the independents with the most character are best placed to convert a viral moment into loyalty.