Younger generations lead many digital behaviors, but the picture shifts by activity. Social media restrictions, changing video habits, ecommerce maturity, and AI adoption are reshaping how marketers reach each generation.

Germany’s digital landscape is evolving as advertising investment shifts across channels, AI gains a greater role in advertising and the shopping journey, and ecommerce, social commerce, and changing media habits reshape consumer behavior.

Consumers are looking for more than the lowest price. New research shows shoppers are weighing cashback, rewards, convenience, and product quality as AI and savings tools make it easier to get more from every dollar.

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Social media still sets Gen Z’s product discovery apart from that of non-Gen Z shoppers. But when it comes time to buy, Gen Zers are just as likely to turn to shopping websites and apps as physical stores.

Digital ad spending continues to perform well across industries in Western Europe’s economic powerhouses. But growth and comparative strength are uneven across categories. Economic and regulatory pressures, in particular, are acting as a drag on certain industries.

This FAQ covers how marketplace power is distributed, where the growth is, and what sellers should do about it in 2026.

Perplexity’s win makes it harder to keep AI shopping agents off retail sites.

Gen Z’s digital world no longer fits into neat categories. Entertainment, commerce, and AI now overlap, while trust is harder to earn. Shifting discovery, media habits, and decision-making are reshaping consumer engagement.

TikTok is back on a growth path in Canada as advertiser confidence returns. But potential of new youth safety rules could limit audience growth, even as ad and commerce opportunities expand.

AI buying agents create coverage gaps, prompting insurers to define liability before courts do.

Italy’s digital economy continues to expand as advertising investment grows and consumers spend more time across social, streaming, and connected media environments.

Our inaugural Pulse of the Consumer: Food and Beverage survey tracks shopper behavior across food and beverage categories.

Browser dominance could help autofill features chip away at Apple Wallet’s market share.

The earlier sales time frame could attract price-sensitive shoppers seeking summer and seasonal items.

Reddit opens Shopify to all advertisers: Global rollout ties community intent to DPAs, easing catalog setup and courting retail budgets.

70% of marketers worldwide say generative AI is the most important consumer trend they're watching, nearly 6x the share tracking the metaverse (12%), according to November 2025 data from Mediaocean.

AI is rewriting the digital shelf. As discovery shrinks to a handful of recommendations, brands are forced to optimize for both humans and machines or risk disappearing early in the purchase journey.

Ten charts reveal where digital markets are headed as AI shapes ad trends, social and retail media take a bigger share of ad spend, and consumer adoption of AI-driven buying influences ecommerce growth.

ChatGPT ads could open up in a second window via a partnership with Smartly