Global Scans · Consumer · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Technology will become the new sales assistant, always on, always friendly, always delivering. Consumers will co-create and create products to their exact needs. Brands will have to focus on seizing mobile moments on apps that already have consumer's attention. Instantly explore below how lifestyles, buying behaviors and attitudes are changing and where you fall short in the battle to win consumers hearts and minds.

• [New] Direct-to-consumer online sales are accelerating at a 19.05% CAGR through 2031, driven by digital-native consumers' preference for transparent pricing and streamlined purchasing processes. Mordor Intelligence
• [New] As a complement to adoption data, we can anchor the economic weight by sector with PwC's 2030 view which quantifies 5G's GDP impact by industry-led by healthcare and smart utilities, followed by consumer & media (~ US$254 B), manufacturing, and financial services. cavliwireless.com
• [New] Direct-to-consumer brands on Shopify that offer free shipping thresholds will need to evaluate whether their current models remain sustainable. Rewarx Studio
• [New] The consumer electronics segment will dominate over half the global revenue throughout the forecast period. Straits Research
• [New] Direct-to-consumer digital platforms and increasing veterinary cost transparency are converting latent demand into active policy purchases, with premium growth expected to remain robust through 2033. / USA Persistence Market Research
• [New] Global business-to-consumer e-commerce revenue is projected to exceed USD 5.5 trillion by 2027, creating substantial demand for paper-based packaging products. Straits Research
• [New] Consumer inflation is forecast to remain elevated at 2.7% in 2026 as the earlier weakening of the won and improving demand add to price pressures, before slowing to 2.2% in 2027 as oil prices stabilise. The Star
• [New] As connected and autonomous vehicles expand, regulatory compliance will remain central to ensuring safety, strengthening consumer trust, and accelerating demand for advanced automotive cybersecurity solutions worldwide. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Global direct-to-consumer laboratory spending is forecast to exceed USD 9 billion by 2033, indicating strong consumer interest in proactive health monitoring. Yahoo! Finance
• [New] Augmented Reality (AR) no-display glasses such as Meta Ray-Bans are also expected to experience rapid consumer adoption in the coming years. ABI Research
• [New] Emerging markets tell the opposite story: core consumer populations are expected to grow by 65% in Africa, 37% in Emerging Asia, and 16% in Latin America. World Data Lab
• [New] In 2027, Emerging Asia will overtake advanced economies in total consumer spending for the first time ever, driven by the rapid expansion of its middle-class population. World Data Lab
• [New] Modeling consumer trends and demographic change through 2050, World Data Lab covers 99.5% of the world's population across 190+ countries, 9,000+ cities, and 200+ spending categories. World Data Lab
• [New] Gen X accounted for approximately $15.2 trillion in consumer spending in 2025 and is expected to remain the world's highest-spending generation through 2033. NIQ
• [New] The Product segment is expected to expand at a CAGR of 4.5% during 2026-2034, supported by diverse consumer preferences for taste, texture, and nutritional profiles. The Insight Partners
• [New] Germany's strong engineering capabilities and consumer preference for premium electronic products are expected to support continued wearable technology adoption through the forecast period. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Consumer electronics are anticipated to dominate with a share of nearly 32.8% in 2026, as smartphones, tablets, laptops, gaming devices, smart TVs, wearables, and home electronics are produced in enormous volumes and require continuous semiconductor assembly and testing. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Consumer spending was better than expected in August with the U.S. Census Bureau reporting overall retail sales growth of 0.3% month-over-month and 9% year-over-year. nationaljeweler.com
• Retail and digital experiences shaping consumer choices Retail environments and digital platforms will significantly impact the adoption of new trends for Christmas 2026. Furniture news
• With the US consumer increasingly struggling, we expect growth headwinds to start mounting in 2027. investing.com
• The ASEAN + 3 Macroeconomic Research Office now expects the regional bloc to expand by 4.1% in 2026, slightly higher than its 4.0% forecast issued in June, as technology exports and consumer demand offset the impact of higher energy costs and global uncertainty. Daily Tribune
• The global FMCG industry is expected to keep being one of the most competitive sectors in 2026, pushed by shifting consumer expectations, omnichannel retail expansion, AI powered decision making, and the continuous pressure on profit margins. Global Risk Community

Last updated: 27 August 2026