Lockdowns, online shopping, and fear of germs during the pandemic have hastened the shift toward all types of digital payments. As a result, Gen Z has fully embraced electronic wallet services, contactless payments, peer-to-peer (P2P) payment apps, and digital uses of credit, including buy now, pay later (BNPL). A Rapid Rise of Contactless Payments. Gen Z’s use of cards and cash is declining rapidly.

Interest in extended reality (XR) is rising as Gen Z increasingly views these environments as an extension of real life and a way to enhance social, gaming, and shopping experiences. Because Gen Zers have grown up in a hybrid online-offline world, they see the blending of in-person and digital experiences as more seamless and natural than older generations do.

The global pandemic has had a profound impact on Generation Z’s well-being and is setting the stage for how they interact with and navigate the healthcare system.

The Pandemic Is Wreaking Havoc on Gen Z’s Lives: At School, at Work, and at Home. Despite some pandemic-related speed bumps, Gen Z is on track to become the most highly educated generation in US history.

US click-and-collect sales more than doubled in 2020, driven by the coronavirus pandemic, and will sustain double-digit growth rates over the next four years. Over 150 million people will make a purchase via click and collect at least once in 2021.

The 2020 US holiday season, set amid the backdrop of a pandemic-driven consumer economy, will see an unprecedented shift to ecommerce.

On today's episode, we discuss how the pandemic changed the car buying customer journey and what BMW's digital experience is trying to achieve. We then talk about why online-only brands might need to do more to earn customers' trust, whether people want more—or less—human interaction when shopping, and what eBay's latest move says about the future of the retailer. Tune in to the discussion with general manager at Autogermana Andrés Fuse, eMarketer senior analyst Matteo Ceurvels, and analyst at Insider Intelligence Blake Droesch.

Walmart Inc. spent $300 million more than expected on COVID-19 paid leave thanks to omicron spikes, according to The Wall Street Journal. The company now says it will no longer offer employees paid time off for coronavirus-related absences. As labor shortages persist, the retail giant will have to reinvest in its workforce to improve recruitment and retention.

Digital habits were supercharged through the pandemic. For those who had been around digital for much of their lives, however, the suddenly crowded digital ecosystem became a smorgasbord for them to snack on. And younger, more digital generations appear to be quite picky.

The year 2021 marks a new era for retail and ecommerce. The pandemic drove a massive shift in almost everything digital, and while 2020 will remain an anomaly in terms of the frenzied pace of adoption, consumers’ new behavior is here to stay. Over the next five years, digital activities will continue growing from today’s accelerated base.

On today's episode, we discuss how the pandemic changed how we buy electronics and how omnichannel marketing and operations are evolving. We then talk about whether YouTube is living up to its potential, ESPN+'s sports rights strategy, and whether DAZN can shake up sports TV. Tune in to the discussion with head of ecommerce at Samsung Electronics Argentina Guido Shama, eMarketer senior analyst Matteo Ceurvels, and director of forecasting at Insider Intelligence Oscar Orozco.

The past 18 months have been a whirlwind in retail, with consumers adapting to technology at a faster clip and retailers looking to bridge the gap between online and in-store. However, total retail sales will dip slightly in the new year before returning to pre-pandemic levels in 2023 and beyond.

Retail has accounted for more than 20% of the market ever since we began tracking digital ad spending by industry, and the pandemic-driven ecommerce explosion of 2020 has only launched retail to new digital heights.

The CPG industry will increase its investments in digital advertising this year as strong sales of essential goods and personal care products—particularly on ecommerce platforms—gave advertisers reasons to keep spending during the pandemic.