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• Showers with possible thunderstorms and a high in the low 80s, per NWS.

🎂 Happy birthday to our members Jan Sandberg, Jack Weidenbach, Catherine Mahowald, Susan Brown, Daniel Jacobson and Roman Guerrero!

Today's newsletter is 1,081 words, a 4-minute read.

Some of the Mall of America's buzziest new brands were first "discovered" by shoppers on TikTok For You pages.

State of the stores: In the last year, the retail and entertainment megaplex has added "viral" claw machine arcade Duck, blind box seller Miniso and dessert stand Sweet Crunch Tanghulu to its directory.

• There's even Roni's, a mac-and-cheese bar that boasts nearly a million TikTok followers.

Why it matters: The marketing play is part of a bid to turn social media traffic into foot traffic, as retailers woo highly sought-after Gen-Z shoppers.

What they're saying: MOA's retail strategy is "more about curating experiences than ever before," head of leasing Carrie Charleston told the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.

• "It is shifting to brands that are bringing in more consumer engagement and retail experiences."

Digitally native brands and those with big footprints on TikTok and other social platforms — think clothing store Edikted — are key to the effort.

Between the lines: Despite all the time they spend scrolling, data shows Gen Z is gravitating toward malls and other forms of IRL retail over online shopping, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Stunning stat: Shoppers ages 18-24 bought over 60% of their general merchandise purchases in stores last year, per the data firm Circana.

• For those 25 and older, the share drops to closer to 50%.

What we're hearing: "Offering a Macy's or a Dillard's or a JCPenney, it's not really interesting to Gen Z," Neil Saunders, managing director at GlobalData, tells Axios. "But if you can provide some of these brands that they see on social media, they're there in a heartbeat."

That's because younger shoppers in particular "want to have the social experience, they want to engage with [the brands] in person," and, of course, use the opportunities to create content of their own.

Case in point: On a recent trip to the mall, we met a 12-year-old from Illinois named Lexi who had asked her parents to add MOA to the family vacation itinerary after seeing its Pop Mart on her social feeds.

• "It's fun not knowing what you're going to get," she said of the popular "blind box" collectibles the store stocks.

What's next: The Golden Nuts MN, a local shop that dishes up trendy Dubai chocolates, and viral apparel brand Comfrt are set to open soon.

Many "viral" fads face the same question: Will it live up to the hype?

To answer that, we spent a day trying some of MOA's hottest experiences.

• Because we're serious journalists, we came up with a very scientific rating system: 👍 👎 or ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

💄 Miniso: The Asian retailer lives up to its "life is for fun" motto, selling everything from candy to makeup to collectibles.

• Pro tip: Blind boxes are the biggest seller, though plushies called Fugglers are increasingly popular with teens.

Our rating: 👍 This place is a vibe.

🎤 Kpop Nara: The new store describes itself as the "ultimate retail destination for K-pop albums."

Our rating: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ It felt sparse and sanitized, kind of like an airport bookstore, with a smaller selection.

🧀 Roni's: The "viral" mac-and-cheese bar serves the classic comfort food with mix-ins like ham and pineapple.

Our rating: 👍 What makes the noodles viral? We weren't sure and neither were the employees. But it was very cheesy and a lot of food for $10.

🦆 Duck: This dedicated claw game arcade features prizes that range from cheap toys and snacks to spendy collectibles.

Audrey and Torey's rating: 👎👎 Great way to burn a hole in your pocket with nothing to show for it!

Kyle's rating: 👍 He won a mini Matcha plushy!

More reviews, including Audrey's "earscape" experience...

🚊 Hennepin County and the Metropolitan Council are publicly sparring over how to cover a $224 million funding shortfall for the proposed Blue Line extension. (Star Tribune)

• The cash gap needs to be resolved before officials can apply for a major federal grant.

🐟 Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources is leaving its longtime headquarters on Lafayette in St. Paul. Hundreds of employees will move to the Comcast building on the West Side by next summer. (Pioneer Press)

🥦 Parcelle Organics is opening a cafe and grocery store in the North Loop. (Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal)

Another election forecaster has shifted Southern Minnesota's 1st Congressional District race in Democrats' favor.

State of play: Inside Elections now rates the race between GOP Rep. Brad Finstad and Democrat Jake Johnson as "likely R." (It was previously "solid R.")

The big picture: Ratings for competitive congressional and statewide races across the country have moved toward Democrats this summer amid national headwinds for the GOP.

Yes, but: Johnson would need to over perform Kamala Harris' 2024 numbers in the district by double digits to flip the one-time swing seat, as this interactive map shows.

🐘 The Minnesota Republican Party has rescheduled its Lincoln-Reagan fundraising dinner for early October.

Flashback: The marquee fundraiser, originally scheduled for June, was postponed amid frustration from donors over the endorsing convention, we scooped at the time.

What we're hearing: A MNGOP spokesperson tells Axios that a speaker will be announced soon.

🤠 GOP U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer is heading to Texas to speak at Republicans' first midterm convention.

Why it matters: Republicans hope the primetime event will mobilize Trump voters to head to the polls — even though he isn't on the ballot.

Yes, but: Some GOP strategists worry that putting the president front and center could backfire in competitive races, Axios' Marc Caputo writes.

• Top Minnesota candidates, including Lisa Demuth and Michele Tafoya, plan to stay home, MPR News reports.

The State Fair is over, which means it's time to hard launch fall.

Case in point: Tickets for the Minnesota Zoo's annual Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular go on sale at 10am.

• Be (spooky) smart: Prime times on peak weekends tend to book up, so make your plans in advance.

🥹 Torey is feeling grateful for her son's amazing teachers at Tierra Encantada. Five years flew by!

💍 Kyle is taking some time off after getting married.

🎬 Audrey cannot wait for Nathan Fielder's upcoming documentary on Elizabeth Holmes.

💼 Nick is back from his sabbatical!

This newsletter was edited by Larry Graham.