Global Scans · Lifestyles · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Digital lifestyles are on the rise around the world and AR and VR will likely see us all using wearables, head-mounted displays and smartphones in almost everything we do. And, most of us will be living in cities too with full amenities close by.

• [New] Checkout.com quantifies the trust gap in AI shopping: Checkout.com reported that one-third of surveyed consumers expect at least 10% of their purchases to be AI-driven within a year, while 27% said they trust no organization to operate an AI shopping agent. Agentic Commerce Frontier
• [New] AI is transforming shopping: Nearly half of retailers anticipate AI will handle a third of transactions in the next five years. LinkedIn
• [New] The National Weather Service issued widespread dangerous heat warnings, with heat index values forecast as high as 110 degrees in parts of Texas. AC Direct
• [New] Consumer adoption of agentic shopping is expected to jump from 19% to 46% by the end of 2026. Braze
• [New] Darktrace uses self-learning AI to understand normal behaviour across an organization's digital estate and detect activity that could cause disruption. GOV.UK
• [New] If Google succeeds in building more seamless agentic shopping flows, the gap between product research and transaction could shrink even further. Neil Patel
• [New] The US is increasingly seeing China as a threat to its hegemony and the preservation of the Western values-based order, and is responding through its Indo-Pacific strategy. orfonline.org
• [New] The future of sustainable eating could depend on translating the principles of traditional Japanese diets - seasonality, fermentation, plant proteins, and resource efficiency - into formats that fit modern convenience-oriented lifestyles. FoodNavigator-Asia.com
• [New] Google Search will use AI agents for online shopping, introducing a Universal Cart that works across merchants and services. BGR
• [New] By the year 2026, artificial intelligence will be an integral part of the American lifestyle, affecting how people work, study, shop, communicate, and solve problems. Medium
• [New] Expanded AI capabilities could influence search behaviour, content consumption, commerce experiences, and customer interactions across Apple devices. MarketingProfs
• [New] The Universal Cart feature persists across sites, actively monitors price changes, and has the potential to significantly change shopping behaviours. Forrester
• [New] F & B tops the list for how travelers expect to spend while in Europe, with 67% citing it as their biggest outlay, followed by shopping. DFNI
• [New] Long as Canada's housing strategy does not commit to having home values stall, Millennials and Gen Z will be faced with unaffordable rents and mortgages. Generation Squeeze
• [New] Express delivery is growing at 16.08% through 2031, reflecting the behaviour of higher-frequency buyers who value speed once trust has already been established. Mordor Intelligence
• [New] 1 in 5 Prime users plan to use Amazon's own AI assistant, formerly called Rufus but now integrated within Alexa for Shopping. Exploding Topics
• [New] With 61% of workers wanting more AI training and 54% expecting their tasks to change in three years, it's clear consumer behaviour is shifting toward upskilling fast to stay competitive at work. Careertrainer.ai
• [New] Traditional search engine volume is expected to decline significantly as AI-driven conversational search behaviour accelerates globally. Prox Digital Agency
• [New] More than half of American Jews report changing their behaviour out of fear of antisemitism. AJC
• [New] By 2030, average UK house prices are expected to have risen by around 18.5%, equivalent to approximately £67,000 on today's values. Mortgage Strategy
• High-net-worth buyers continue viewing Tennessee real estate as attractive investments combining lifestyle benefits, tax advantages, and appreciation potential. Coldwell Banker Southern Realty

Last updated: 02 July 2026