Shoppers worldwide are flocking to online marketplaces and social commerce for convenience, variety, and competitive pricing. While price remains key, brand trust is becoming a major factor in certain markets. As these platforms drive discovery and sales, brands must adapt to stay competitive. Here are three ways digital shopping habits are evolving among consumers worldwide.

Category leaders go beyond traditional data, using consumer intelligence to predict behavior rather than just react. By tapping into unconventional insights like culture, entertainment, and social trends, brands can build more dynamic, human-centric strategies.

Wearables will surpass 100 million users this year as AI advancements push adoption to nearly 40% of adults, marking a shift from niche tech to mainstream.

While teens retain digital habits from childhood (such as a strong preference for YouTube), their newfound independence and desire to connect with peers has led them to new habits.

Digg makes a comeback 12 years after it was sold: While the revival promises “good vibes” and a community-first focus, how they’ll monetize is unclear.

Microsoft brings AI ad features to Copilot: It’s vying for ad dollars in an increasingly competitive chatbot space.

25% of US adults consider Facebook the most influential social media platform for purchasing decisions, putting it just ahead of TikTok (21%) and Instagram (20%), according to Relex.

Meta, TikTok under fire for data usage practices: The social media giants are facing lawsuits that could have long-term consequences.

US smart wearable users will surge past 100 million by 2025 as AI capabilities drive adoption. Generational preferences, device convergence, and rising form factors like smart glasses and rings will reshape the market through 2028.

Figure AI shifts into overdrive: Slashing its original timeline, the startup is pushing humanoid robots into homes this year—either a sign of rapid AI progress or a risky bet to stay ahead.

Meta plans dedicated chatbot app: The move aims to compete with AI leaders ChatGPT and Gemini, but its success remains uncertain.

Placing Aria Gen 2 in research labs could help Meta gather real-world data—turning researchers into de facto product testers for its next wave of consumer smart glasses.

Reels may get its own app: Instagram is reportedly exploring a standalone platform as it vies to draw attention away from TikTok.

"You're spending a lot of money. Do you know where your ads are?'" Jonah Goodhart, co-founder and CEO of Mobian, said on our "Behind the Numbers" podcast, evoking the classic PSA. Meta announced in January it would replace fact checking with Community Notes, worrying advertisers about brand safety.

Snapchat enhances brand safety features: The changes stand in contrast with Meta scaling back its brand safety commitments.

With Facebook’s ad growth slowing, Meta is paying influencers to revive the platform—but can cash alone compete with TikTok and Instagram’s cultural dominance?

Nine in 10 consumers worldwide have a profile on Facebook, according to a January report from Sprout Social.

Latin America’s digital revolution is marching full steam ahead, with consumers spending more than a third of their day online. As social commerce and retail media propel the region’s digital economy to new heights, the runway for growth remains long.​

In our first edition of the Global Digital Index, created in partnership with the RLC Global Forum, we explore retail and ecommerce in the Gulf States of the Middle East.