Global Scans · Lifestyles · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Digital lifestyles are on the rise around the world and AR and VR will likely see us all using wearables, head-mounted displays and smartphones in almost everything we do. And, most of us will be living in cities too with full amenities close by.

• [New] The race toward seamless, hyper-personalized shopping experiences will shift into high gear in 2026. Publicis Sapient
• [New] In 2026, experts expect to see major trends that are changing the grocery shopping game. Eat This Not That
• [New] Financial stress will reach an all-time high in the first quarter of 2026, based on consumer behaviour data from its national network of financial counseling agencies that serve more than 1 million clients. CNBC
• [New] Agentic AI shopping could feed into commerce media growth, which is expected to increase 12.1% in 2026. Morning Brew
• [New] Google is one of a host of tech giants betting that agentic commerce will hit the big time in 2026, rolling out its Universal Commerce Protocol last month to standardise how businesses connect with AI agents across the shopping journey. FinExtra
• [New] The growing threat of agentic robots capable of autonomous shopping and payment poses a significant challenge to traditional marketplaces like eBay and Amazon. Anicca
• [New] In-store media accelerates as the next major retail media growth frontier: By 2026, retailers will expand in-store media through deeper partnerships with signage and content platforms and use AI to tailor messages to real-time traffic and shopper behaviour. Supermarket News
• [New] Six in 10 consumers already cite payment friction as a reason they might choose to shop elsewhere and by 2050, they expect seamless shopping to be the norm. Retail Week
• [New] By 2026, shopping journeys will start with a conversation. Grazitti Interactive
• [New] While competitors focus primarily on hardware refinements, Google's proven AI capabilities could transform foldables from impressive tech demos into genuinely intelligent productivity tools that adapt to user behaviour and optimize experiences dynamically. Gadget Hacks
• [New] The Middle East & Africa region is at an earlier stage of development in pregnancy care products but is characterised by growing healthcare investment, rising maternal-wellness initiatives and generational shifts in consumer behaviour-making it a meaningful mid-term opportunity for brands. ReAnIn
• [New] Vintage fashion shopping along with renting certain fashion items will be huge trends in 2026 and all will be worn with 2026 fashion extras. Sharp Eye
• [New] 60% of brands will use agentic AI for one-to-one interactions by 2028 - and a majority of consumers expect to use AI agents for shopping in the next 12 months. Marketing Agent Blog
• [New] 2026 will be a milestone moment in the evolution of AI commerce as consumers seek accessible ways to address their shopping and product consumption needs. Circana
• [New] With the continued shift towards digital shopping, online stores are expected to maintain a significant role in the distribution of millet products worldwide. Bonafide Research
• [New] In the US, the EPA's proposed Renewable Fuel Standard overhaul will redefine how renewable volume obligations work, slashing credit eligibility for imported fuels and introducing new equivalence values. Biofuels International
• [New] In 2026, we can expect the use of experiential marketing to skyrocket as technology adoption and consumer behaviour change. Factory 360
• [New] By 2030, a significant percentage of weekly household shopping and other routine spending will be done AI agent to AI agent - Amazon's Rufus working with your ChatGPT, for example, no humans involved. Sharp Eye
• [New] In 2026 AI is going to be used for shopping more than it ever has been. Sharp Eye
• [New] Shield's 2026 Compliance Outlook sets a clear premise: in 2026, compliance will not be judged by intent but by evidence, with regulators looking at data integrity, employee behaviour, system architecture, and vendor relationships as a connected control picture. A-Team

Last updated: 19 February 2026