Light, open, inviting. Those are some of the descriptors for the Journeys 4.0 store concept that began rolling out in 2024 and is rapidly making its way across the retailer’s main stores, as well as its Kidz locations.
But don’t call it a redesign. “With 4.0, it’s not just about a remodel; it’s really about reimagining the customer experience,” said Becky Hardin, senior vice president of real estate and store planning for Journeys.
“We started by asking, ‘How has the customer changed?’ And our customers shop very differently today,” she explained. “They’re really fluid. They move between brands and looks — one day it’s Dr. Martens, the next Adidas, next Birkenstock. So they want that flexibility, and they want the store to be about discovery and to be inspiring.”
That led Journeys to update every consumer-facing aspect, from the flooring and lighting to new fixtures and branding.
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Mike Sypert, chief operating officer of the chain, pointed to 4.0’s modularity as an important new element. “[It has] the ability to flex and shrink. That is something we didn’t have in the other store concepts, as brands get hot and assortments get larger.”
The new look is certainly a departure from early Journeys stores, which were modeled to resemble a teenager’s bedroom: dark, messy and a little bit loud.
Sypert, who has been with the chain since 1989, recalled that Journeys was a novel concept in the 1980s and ’90s. “We were one of the first stores to have music videos playing,” he said. Other features added over the years — like pay phones so teens could call their parents for a ride home or video games in the Journeys Kidz locations — further cemented the retailer’s reputation as an authentic shopping outpost for young people, one that understood their needs and desires.
“We tweaked that concept, but nothing major over the years. And maybe to our detriment, we stuck to that concept probably a little bit too long,” said Sypert. “We realized it was time to update and get a fresher look.”
In 2024, Journeys tested the 4.0 concept in 10 stores, and after seeing strong early results, it quickly accelerated. The company added it to more than 80 doors last year, with at least 90 more expected in 2026. Hardin said within the next three years, roughly 50 to 60 percent of its stores will have the 4.0 look. Journeys Kidz is also getting the new treatment, with eight store conversions planned this year.
Market watchers are bullish on the update. In a note to investors in August, Williams Trading analyst Sam Poser highlighted the sales gains from the new concept as one reason for its “buy” rating on parent company Genesco Inc. “After conversion from a traditional Journeys stores, the 4.0 concepts are realizing [a] sales lift of at least 25 percent.”
He went on to add, “Given their strength, we remain hopeful that [Genesco] accelerates the 4.0 store openings.”
The design rollout is happening amid a continued reexamination of the store fleet. As of Aug. 1, Journeys Group had 924 doors in the U.S., down from 1,250 at its highest point in 2017. In the second quarter of fiscal 2027, Journeys Group closed 17 locations. “We’re being very intentional about optimization, about closing stores,” said Hardin. “Part of that is just exiting nonstrategic stores and ones that are less productive.”
At the same time, fueled by enthusiasm around the new concept, Journeys is expanding the footprint of stores deemed undersized and relocating others to better locations.
Sypert said brick-and-mortar remains critical to the business. “We’ve seen that when we close a store in a specific market, our e-commerce business also goes down — because the stores are our branding. It’s how we relate to the customers. It’s the physical footprint where people can come in, try stuff and have the full shopping experience,” he said.
And for today’s digital-native teen shoppers, the mall experience has a fresh appeal. “You see an uptick with people wanting to go to the mall and being more social, especially after COVID,” Sypert added.
But while there may be a resurgence in mall shopping, the Journeys execs noted it’s not universal. “The best malls are getting stronger, and it’s because they’re building a lifestyle environment. They’re bringing in the best brands. They have great restaurants. They have experiences,” said Hardin. “Gen Z and Gen Alpha, they want to shop in person and they want a place to connect. It’s social. They want to be with their friends.”
She added that Journeys will continue to have a strong presence in the best super-regional malls and outlet centers, and her team is also exploring other property types, including lifestyle centers and some mixed-use properties. Hardin said, “[We want to be] where there is that synergy of fashion brands and cotenants, and where we know our customer is shopping.”
