26 Trends for 2026 … How 2026 will be a pivotal year of big shifts for business … remapping of human priorities, the redesign of market systems, and the reinvention of business models
December 4, 2025
2026 is the year the future gets real. Not just in terms of the ever -ccelerating technological possibilities, but in the practical, commercial, human reshaping of economies, cultures, consumption, work, and leadership.
The turbulence of the past decade — pandemic, inflation, supply chain shocks, climate chaos, geopolitical fragmentation, demographic disruption, and AI’s sudden ignition — converges into a moment where every business must rethink what it does, how it creates value, and what it stands for.
We are witnessing not merely incremental shifts but the remapping of human priorities, the redesign of market systems, and the reinvention of business models.
Consumers are more intentional, selective, contradictory, and experimental. Technology is more ambient, embedded, personalised and intelligent than ever before. Brands are increasingly porous, community-driven, and culturally entangled. Economies are shifting north, south, east and west. Work is becoming more fluid. Talent is becoming borderless. And companies are being judged not only on what they make, but on the ecosystems, behaviours, and impact they generate.
I spend my working life searching the world for new ideas, opportunities and innovations; working with some of the most interesting business leaders from each continent, scanning the latest trends and reports. My projects in 2025 have taken me from banking in Brazil to retail in Mexico, insurance in Japan to fertiliser in Morocco, tech in Germany to food in Saudi Arabia, construction in Egypt and luxury goods in Switzerland.
So here is my curation of the 26 most impactful business trends for 2026 — those that will shape markets, define industries, influence customers, and accelerate or threaten growth. They span consumer culture, technology, business models, leadership, economics, marketing and brand behaviour. Together, they provide a strategic lens for leaders preparing to navigate the most opportunity-rich — and risk-filled — commercial landscape in decades.
Trend 1.“Intentioned Spending”
Consumers increasingly choose products that reflect their beliefs, identity, and cultural values rather than simply price or convenience. Gen Z is twice as willing as Millennials to pay more for ethical brands, while older generations seek purchase decisions that reduce guilt and signal responsibility. Transparent supply chains and evidence-based environmental or social commitments are now core components of value.
Example: Oatly (Sweden)
Oatly positions plant-based dairy as a climate-positive choice, using carbon labelling, irreverent communications, and radical transparency to align with ethically-motivated shoppers.
Trend 2.“Wellness Everywhere”
Wellness has evolved from a lifestyle category into a full life infrastructure, spanning physical health, mental resilience, emotional wellbeing, financial stability, and restorative work cultures. The global sector will reach £7 trillion by 2027, driven by the normalisation of therapy, personalised biometrics, longevity interventions and workplace wellbeing expectations. Brands that support whole-person health, not siloed services, lead the way.
Example: Cerebral (US)
Cerebral delivers accessible, technology-enabled mental healthcare, combining therapy and medication management for millions of users seeking affordable wellbeing support.
Trend 3.“Affordable Luxury 2.0”
Consumers crave uplift and indulgence, even in periods of financial strain. Prestige categories such as skincare, fragrance, premium coffee, and artisan food continue growing rapidly, offering emotional reward at smaller price points. Prestige beauty rose 13% in 2024 despite inflation, proving that “everyday luxury” is a resilient and expanding market.
Example: Sulwhasoo (South Korea)
Sulwhasoo fuses ancient herbal formulations with modern dermatological science, offering prestige beauty at accessible luxury prices, particularly for aspirational Asian middle-class consumers.
Trend 4. “Recommerce Revolution”
Second-hand, refurbished and circular products are mainstream. Younger generations perceive them as smart, sustainable and socially stylish. The resale market will exceed £275 billion by 2027. Trust systems, authentication and frictionless platforms are making it easier for consumers to embrace circularity without compromising convenience or aesthetics.
Example: Vinted (Lithuania)
Vinted enables seamless peer-to-peer fashion resale across Europe, making preloved items a culturally normal part of everyday shopping.
Trend 5.“Joyconomy Brands”
In an emotionally fatigued world, people increasingly seek products that deliver humour, colour, fun, and delight. “Dopamine brands” cut through the noise, while playful design is now a commercial advantage. FMCG categories with “joy-first” positioning grew twice as fast as traditional counterparts in 2024.
Example: Liquid Death (US)
Liquid Death transforms canned water into a punk-infused cultural statement, using humour, rebellion and meme-friendly branding to drive global virality.
Trend 6.“Glocal Mash-Ups”
Consumers embrace brands that blend global quality with deep local personality. Rising national confidence in Asia, Latin America and Africa fuels demand for products that reflect local tastes and identity. Global-local hybrids outperform pure global brands. In many markets, “local flavour” is becoming a premium attribute.
Example: Rappi (Colombia)
Rappi integrates global-grade digital functionality with hyper-local delivery, payments and daily services tailored to Latin American lifestyles.
Trend 7.“SuperApps Go West”
SuperApps—dominant in Asia—are now spreading in Europe and North America as consumers demand everything-in-one digital ecosystems. Payments, banking, shopping, travel, insurance, content and rewards increasingly merge into a single interface, reducing app overload and amplifying loyalty.
Example: Revolut (UK)
Revolut is evolving into a Western SuperApp by combining banking, travel, shopping, insurance, crypto and lifestyle rewards into one seamless platform.
Trend 8.“Generational Remix”
For the first time in history, six generations shape markets simultaneously. Gen Z influences culture disproportionately; Boomers hold 70% of global wealth; Gen Alpha is shaping new digital behaviours. Brands must design for tension, overlap and shared experiences, not just age cohorts.
Example: Lego (Denmark)
Lego bridges generations through nostalgic sets, digital integrations and cross-cultural collaborations that appeal to children, adults, collectors and online communities.
Trend 9.“Emerging Affluence”
The global middle class is expanding rapidly in India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mexico and Africa. By 2030, two-thirds of the world’s middle class will live in Asia. These consumers seek quality, aspiration, modern identity and upward mobility. They are driving premiumisation across many categories.
Example: Tata Consumer Products (India)
Tata is expanding into premium beverages and essentials built for India’s fast-rising urban middle class.
Trend 10. “Niche Nation”
Consumer identity is increasingly fragmented into micro-communities: aesthetic tribes, gaming cultures, wellness niches, fandoms, hyper-specific hobbies and digital subcultures. These niches shape purchasing patterns, viral moments and brand loyalty. The future belongs to brands that harness community nuance and speak with cultural fluency.
Example: Glossier (US)
Glossier built a modern beauty empire by cultivating micro-communities and inviting them to co-create products and experiences.
Trend 11.“AI-as-CoPilot”
AI shifts from standalone tools to integrated copilots enhancing human capability. Knowledge workers see 30–50% productivity gains, creative teams accelerate experimentation, and operations become more predictive. The focus moves from automation to augmentation, enabling people to do more meaningful work.
Example: GitLab (US)
GitLab weaves AI into its DevOps platform—from code suggestions to workflow optimisation—making software teams faster and more collaborative.
Trend 12. “The Personalisation Singularity”
Real-time personalisation becomes a commercial baseline thanks to AI, federated data, and behavioural analytics. Nearly 40% of consumer interactions will be AI-personalised by 2026. Products, services, pricing, learning pathways and experiences adapt to individuals dynamically.
Example: JD.com (China)
JD uses AI to tailor recommendations, pricing, fulfilment routes and promotions on an individual level for hundreds of millions of users.
Trend 13.“Zero-Interface Living”
Screens give way to voice, gestures, spatial interfaces, computer vision and AI agents embedded into everyday environments. Homes, cars, workplaces and public spaces become intelligent, responsive and context-aware. Interfaces dissolve into the background.
Example: Naver (South Korea)
Naver develops multimodal AI, robotics and connected environments, powering next-generation voice- and vision-driven digital ecosystems.
Trend 14.“Synthetic Creativity”
Generative AI becomes an engine of original design, branding, storytelling and product creation. Rapid prototyping, unlimited experimentation, and new aesthetic genres accelerate innovation cycles across fashion, entertainment, advertising, and consumer goods.
Example: Deeplocal (US)
Deeplocal uses generative AI to produce immersive, automated, creative marketing experiences for major global brands.
Trend 15.“Life-OS Health”
Health becomes a software-driven behaviour system: biomarker tracking, personalised supplementation, smart sleep technology and early-warning analytics. Consumers manage health continuously, not episodically. Longevity culture rises fast as people prioritise long-term vitality over short-term fixes.
Example: Eight Sleep (US)
Eight Sleep provides smart mattresses that monitor and optimise physiological patterns, improving recovery through advanced temperature and sleep analytics.
Trend 16.“Ecosystem Advantage”
Competitive advantage shifts from singular products to dense networks of partners, platforms, data and connected devices. Ecosystems lock in consumers, generate insights, and scale innovation. Companies that orchestrate, rather than simply operate, win.
Example: Xiaomi (China)
Xiaomi has built one of the world’s largest connected-home ecosystems, with over 2,000 partner devices integrated into its platform.
Trend 17. “Ultra-Fast Commerce 2.0”
A new wave of fast commerce emerges after the collapse of early quick-delivery players. This time, the model is more disciplined, AI-optimised and focused on routine replenishment, subscription logistics, and urban micro-fulfilment. Efficiency replaces speed mania.
Example: JOKR (Luxembourg)
JOKR operates highly efficient dark stores with precise inventory control, offering fast delivery rooted in sustainable economics.
Trend 18.“Human Capital Renaissance”
Workforces evolve around skills, not roles. Creativity, adaptability, emotional intelligence and AI-fluency become strategic differentiators. Learning becomes continuous, hyper-personalised and embedded in daily workflows. Companies that elevate human potential outperform those that simply automate.
Example: DBS Bank (Singapore)
DBS invests heavily in large-scale upskilling, digital capability building and AI integration to create a future-ready workforce.
Trend 19.“Brand Citizenship”
Consumers increasingly judge brands as societal actors. Companies are expected to behave with integrity, cultural sensitivity and environmental responsibility. Brand citizenship is no longer a CSR add-on; it is a core expectation.
Example: Natura (Brazil)
Natura champions regenerative sourcing, ethical partnerships and community-driven supply chains across the Amazon and beyond.
Trend 20.“Experience Maximalism”
People crave immersive, multi-sensory, emotionally striking experiences in retail, entertainment, travel and culture. Minimalism is giving way to sensory abundance and bold creativity. Tech, art and design merge to create unforgettable spaces and moments.
Example: TeamLab (Japan)
TeamLab creates immersive digital art experiences using light, sound, water and AI that captivate millions globally.
Trend 21. “Trust Tech”
With rising digital fraud, misinformation and cyber risks, consumers seek technologies that protect identity, privacy and data integrity. Verified identity, encryption, digital wallets and secure authentication become essential societal infrastructure.
Example: Yoti (UK)
Yoti provides trusted digital identities used for secure verification in retail, finance, travel and public services.
Trend 22.“Climate Adaptation Markets”
Extreme weather resilience becomes a fast-growing sector. Companies demand hyper-local climate intelligence, adaptive infrastructure, weather-indexed insurance and carbon-resilient supply chains. Climate adaptation moves from cost centre to commercial opportunity.
Example: Tomorrow.io (US)
Tomorrow.io delivers hyper-accurate climate intelligence to airlines, cities and enterprises to anticipate disruption and improve operational resilience.
Trend 23.“Resource-Light Business Models”
Subscription economics, asset-light operations, technology-enabled leasing and circular supply chains reduce capital intensity and environmental impact. Consumers increasingly prefer access over ownership, while companies seek flexible, lower-risk growth.
Example: BYD Mobility (China)
BYD expands from manufacturing electric vehicles into EV leasing, fleet electrification, ride services and city-level mobility platforms.
Trend 24. “New Industrial Renaissance”
Manufacturing is reimagined with robotics, AI, advanced materials, 3D printing and autonomous plants. Industries such as aerospace, automotive, biopharma and energy experience dramatic productivity leaps and innovation cycles. The factory becomes a digital organism.
Example: Relativity Space (US)
Relativity uses AI-guided 3D printing to manufacture rockets with minimal parts, transforming aerospace production.
Trend 25. “Borderless Talent & Work”
Hybrid work evolves into borderless work. Companies hire globally; workers engage in multi-project, multi-market careers. Talent flows to the most interesting problems, not the nearest office. Digital credentials and asynchronous collaboration become normal.
Example: Andela (Nigeria)
Andela connects skilled African technologists with global companies seeking distributed, high-quality engineering talent.
Trend 26. “The Community-Driven Brand”
Communities, not campaigns, shape brand power. Fans, creators, ambassadors and niche tribes become co-owners of brand momentum. The strongest brands behave like platforms for belonging, not broadcasters of messages.
Example: Gymshark (UK)
Gymshark built a global fitness culture by empowering creators, ambassadors and gym communities to co-shape the brand.
Connecting the dots … the 5 metashifts that matter
Across the 26 trends sit five deeper structural shifts that show how consumption, culture, technology and business are reorganising themselves for the decade ahead. These meta-shifts reveal the underlying logic connecting what, on the surface, may appear like unrelated movements. Together, they define the new rules of competition, value creation and leadership.
Metashift 1. Consumption becomes cultural rather than transactional
Purchasing decisions increasingly signal identity, belonging and worldview. Consumers no longer buy merely to satisfy needs — they buy to express values, join communities, display taste and participate meaningfully in culture. This drives demand for products with story, symbolism, and stance. It explains the rise of purpose-led brands, the growth of wellness micro-markets, the appetite for joy, and the premium placed on care, craft, heritage and authenticity. Consumption is now a form of self-expression — and brands must act accordingly.
Metashift 2. Technology becomes invisible, ambient and intelligent
AI is shifting from a tool you open to a system that operates beneath and around you. Intelligence seeps into logistics, pricing, interfaces, personalisation layers, service channels and physical environments. Rather than being the headline, technology becomes the substrate — the invisible mesh that powers experience. The trends around recommerce, precision pricing, creative automation and AI copilots all share this same trajectory: tech as a seamless extension of human intention, not a separate category.
Metashift 3. Work becomes fluid, borderless and augmented
The future workforce blends humans, AI and global talent networks. Employees increasingly work across multiple projects, roles and geographies, constantly remixing capability. Skills reinvent faster than job titles; careers become portfolios rather than ladders. Organisations that thrive will be those that treat learning as a living system, not a training function. Trends around skills marketplaces, hybrid culture, and the rise of solopreneurs all feed into a single movement: work that flows, adapts and expands people’s potential.
Metashift 4. Business models shift from products to ecosystems
The biggest gains now come from orchestrating relationships, not just selling things. Platforms, partnerships, data-sharing networks and cross-sector collaborations generate more durable value than standalone offerings. Whether it’s superapps, circular marketplaces, climate ecosystems or infrastructure-as-a-service, the trend is the same: companies win by becoming connective tissue. Ecosystem logic transforms industries because it transforms incentives — towards long-term value, mutual benefit and continuous reinvention.
Metashift 5. Brands become communities, citizens and cultural participants
Consumers expect brands to behave like people: to stand for something, act with integrity, create positive impact and contribute creatively to culture. The strongest brands of 2026 will be those that build belonging, not just awareness. They mobilise communities, host conversations, support values, and co-create meaning with people. This meta-shift links the rise of identity-driven consumption, joy-centred products, niche microcultures, and the dramatic reshaping of what “brand” even means.
What should business leaders do now?
To win in this new landscape, leaders must rethink what value means, how organisations create it, and how they amplify it in the market. These are the urgent moves that determine who thrives, and who falls behind.
Here are my 7 practical imperatives for business leaders to build advantage in 2026 and beyond:
1. Reinvent value around meaning, wellness, identity and joy
People are buying experiences that enrich their lives emotionally, mentally and socially. Define your value proposition not around features, but around how it helps people feel, express, belong and grow. Shift from utility to significance.
2. Build ambient AI into products, processes and experience design
Move beyond AI tools to AI infrastructure. Make intelligence a default setting: powering personalisation, predicting demand, accelerating creativity, enhancing service and reducing friction. Invisible AI is the new competitive baseline.
3. Transition from linear businesses to ecosystems and platforms
Ask: what can we enable, not just what can we sell? Identify partners, data layers, communities and complements. Build multi-sided growth engines that unlock new revenues, reduce risk and scale faster than standalone offerings.
4. Design for fragmentation — micro-audiences, micro-cultures, micro-moments
Mass markets are dissolving. Segment by culture, not by demographics. Build portfolios of tailored propositions, dynamic content, adaptive pricing, location-specific formats and culturally attuned storytelling. Relevance now lives at the edges.
5. Elevate humanity — creativity, ethics, empathy, imagination
As AI automates more knowledge work, the human differentiators become more valuable. Build organisations where imagination thrives, ethics guide decisions, creativity is systemic, and empathy shapes product design. Human value becomes brand value.
6. Champion climate adaptation and resilience as economic opportunity
This is no longer CSR — it is strategy. Climate volatility is reshaping supply chains, insurance, energy, real estate and consumer priorities. Invest in resilience systems, low-carbon models, and climate-positive innovation. Profit lies in prevention and regeneration.
7. Make your brand a community engine, not a communications function
Shift from broadcasting to belonging. Build platforms for participation, spaces for conversation, and rituals that unite people. Act less like a corporation and more like a cultural catalyst. Brands that create connection will dominate the decade.
Make your 2026 a great year!
2026 is not the destination — it is the inflection point. A moment when technology, humanity, culture, nature, and ambition collide to create entirely new possibilities for value, impact and growth. The businesses that thrive will be those that embrace reinvention, act boldly, learn fast, collaborate widely, and place human potential at the heart of their strategy.
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