With new networks dividing attention and unpredictable algorithm shifts impacting who sees what where, marketing teams struggle to reach and engage their target audience on social media. Marketers need deeper consumer insights to make the best use of their time and talent. Without them, brands risk over-investing in the wrong places with the wrong content, while leaving room for competitors to swoop in.

AI agent-based shopping could increase e-commerce penetration and ultimately “level the playing field” for brands, Harley Finkelstein told Retail Brew. Retail is entering its agentic era. At least that’s what Shopify President Harley Finkelstein told Retail Brew at NRF. He’s certainly not alone in that thinking: Agentic commerce was by far the show’s buzziest term, especially if you attended sessions featuring Google, Walmart, Ulta Beauty, Wayfair, The Home Depot, Urban Outfitters…the list goes on.

Based on insights from 4,500 marketplace shoppers across the US, UK, Germany, France, and the Netherlands, this report reveals how trust, value, and transparency are now shaping the marketplace shopping experience.

Shopping journeys are broader, not linear

Shoppers no longer move from one channel to one checkout. They discover on marketplaces, validate on social platforms, compare across borders, and increasingly use AI to reduce effort. This report connects those touchpoints into a single, end-to-end view of how decisions are actually made.

With questions about tariffs and the economic outlook persisting, brands are prioritizing a strong start to the year. The wrong plan can set them back and allow their competitors to get ahead, so it’s imperative that they find the right marketing channels to meet their goals. The best approach to creating a 2026 roadmap is to look at the trends that shaped 2025 spending and adjust accordingly. 

This survey report explores the AI confidence gap occurring across the retail industry and how retailers can move from AI adoption to activation. Although many retail leaders have already invested in AI, most have yet to yield meaningful results. Without connecting infrastructure, intelligence, and action so that brands can respond to intent with personalization in real time, retailers miss the opportunity to make the most of their AI investments.

Welcome to the 12th edition of “The Future 100” – VML’s unparalleled research report examining key global trends. This report features our latest projections, interviews with top industry experts, exclusive statistics and consumer insights for 2026 across 16 global markets. After another year marked by economic upheaval, polarizing political currents and environmental setbacks, 2026 will be a year for building resilience, courageous creativity and redrawing the boundaries of what’s possible. From the personal to the planetary, from human engineering to geoengineering the climate itself, a new class of creators and collaborators is multiplying potential in ways we are just beginning to imagine.

AI is changing how people search — and how your brand shows up. SEO still matters, but it’s no longer the whole story. With AI-driven answers reshaping how information is found and shared, Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) has become the key to ensuring your content — and your brand — stay discoverable.

What you’ll learn about AEO

In this guide, discover the AEO Maturity Model, a research-backed framework designed to help you:

Uncover lifestyle shifts and purchase drivers in our 2026 consumer trends report with global data and insights to guide your strategic decisions. How do you implement an effective marketing, product or retail strategy without the right consumer insights?  Trick question —you can’t. That’s where our 2026 consumer trends report comes in. Packed with global data and expert intel, you’ll uncover lifestyle shifts and purchase drivers so you can cater to evolving expectations.