CONSUMERS & EXPERIENCES

Consumer-facing industries are entering a new technology cycle where “devices + platforms + data” matter more than any single product category. Over the next five years, the biggest shifts will come from AI-native shopping experiences, faster and more invisible payments, and a wave of connected devices that are less about specs and more about services, health, and lifestyle. The opportunity is large—and it’s increasingly concentrated in Asia Pacific, where mobile-first behaviors, super-app ecosystems, and digitally sophisticated consumers accelerate adoption.One signal of the scale is that “consumer tech” is no longer just phones and TVs—it’s also commerce infrastructure, fintech rails, and AI layers that sit across every touchpoint. Even within traditional hardware, market researchers estimate the global consumer electronics market at about $1.21T in 2024, projecting growth to about $1.78T by 2030. That baseline of devices matters because it creates the installed base for everything else: subscriptions, content, commerce, and AI assistants that follow consumers across contexts.Where growth becomes more dramatic is in the consumer industries most shaped by digital journeys—retail, payments, and marketing. EMARKETER forecasts worldwide ecommerce sales around $6.9T in 2024. At the same time, a parallel set of market estimates that use broader definitions of ecommerce (including B2B and services) project far larger totals, underscoring how much economic activity is moving onto digital rails. The takeaway isn’t which number is “right” (definitions vary); it’s that commerce is becoming increasingly software-mediated, and that makes experience design, personalization, and trust decisive competitive levers.Payments are evolving even faster than shopping. Worldpay’s Global Payments Report (as summarized by Payments Dive) highlights a sharp rise in digital payments spend—from $1.7T in 2014 to $18.7T in 2024, with projections that digital payments could exceed $33.5T by 2030. This matters because the winners in consumer industries will increasingly be the ones who can remove checkout friction, offer local payment methods, embed credit responsibly, and reduce fraud without breaking the experience.AI is the other major accelerant. Analysts estimate the AI-in-retail market at $11.61B in 2024, projecting $40.74B by 2030. Regardless of exact sizing, what’s changing is where AI shows up for consumers: not only in back-end forecasting, but directly in discovery, shopping assistance, and post-purchase support. Reuters recently reported JD Sports launching “AI commerce” in the US, integrating assistants (including Microsoft Copilot first, with plans to expand to Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT) so customers can search and purchase via AI interfaces—an example of retailers treating conversational AI as a new storefront, not just a support tool. In parallel, the Financial Times reported Google introducing personalized ads into AI shopping tools, signaling that conversational shopping is also becoming a new advertising surface—potentially reshaping how consumers find products and how brands pay for visibility.Put together, these trends point to several concrete opportunity areas for consumer industries.First, AI-native customer experience is emerging as a differentiator. The opportunity is not simply “add a chatbot,” but redesign the journey so discovery, comparison, and decision-making become guided and contextual. That opens value pools in AI shopping assistants, dynamic bundling, personalized promotions, and customer service that resolves issues without handoffs. It also creates a new competition for attention: if AI agents become the front door, brands need better product data, inventory visibility, and the ability to “sell” to an algorithm as well as to a human.Second, retail media and performance marketing are being redefined by first-party data and new ad surfaces. As commerce shifts inside ecosystems (marketplaces, super-apps, and now AI chat interfaces), advertising increasingly becomes integrated into the shopping flow. The market implications are significant: platforms can monetize intent more directly, while brands will push for measurable outcomes and higher ROI. The recent move toward ads inside AI shopping experiences is part of this broader pivot.Third, payments innovation remains a major growth lever, particularly in Asia Pacific where consumers often adopt new payment methods quickly and expect local relevance. Beyond wallets, account-to-account payments, real-time rails, and BNPL-style experiences, the opportunity is in “invisible payments” that are secure, low-friction, and embedded across channels—online, in-app, and in-store. As digital payments volumes rise, differentiation shifts to fraud controls, chargeback reduction, orchestration across payment methods, and compliance that doesn’t degrade conversion.Fourth, connected lifestyle technology is expanding from consumer electronics into health, mobility, and home services. Wearables and sensors turn devices into long-running service relationships—subscriptions for coaching, diagnostics, and personalized recommendations. Smart home is moving from novelty devices to energy management, security, and eldercare use cases. Over time, regulation and consumer trust will shape winners here as much as product design.Finally, Asia Pacific is likely to stay the world’s most important “proving ground” for many of these shifts because its consumers are accustomed to mobile-first journeys and integrated ecosystems. That means new interaction models (social commerce, livestreaming, wallet-first checkout, AI-assisted discovery) can reach scale quickly—and then get exported. For brands, the opportunity is large but unforgiving: experiences must be fast, localized, and trustworthy, and the winners will be those who combine product relevance with platform strategy.

Jan 14, 2026

Digital consumers in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region are redefining what it means to live, work, shop, play, and transact in a connected world. With mobile connectivity now reaching into most corners of the region, digital lifestyles have moved far beyond early adoption to become a defining force shaping markets, culture, and technology itself. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), mobile broadband covers over 95% of the Asia Pacific population, providing a foundation for digital engagement that spans services from entertainment to e-commerce and beyond.This connectivity has helped Asia Pacific consumers leapfrog older models of consumption and embrace digital platforms at unprecedented scale. E-commerce, for example, plays a dominant role: according to Euromonitor forecasts, the region’s e-commerce market was expected to reach USD 2.0 trillion in 2024, contributing nearly 47% of global online retail sales, with growth anticipated at an 8% compound annual rate through 2028.A Massive and Growing Base of Connected ConsumersAsia Pacific’s digital consumer base reflects sweeping demographic and economic dynamics. PwC’s Voice of the Consumer study reports that the region is home to approximately 60% of the world’s population and represents nearly 46% of global GDP, and its consumer base is set to continue expanding as incomes and urbanization rise. Digital participation encompasses not only buying behaviors but also attitudes toward technology itself: a leading Ipsos survey found that 68% of APAC respondents believe artificial intelligence (AI) is having a positive impact on the world, a figure higher than the global average.At the same time, rapid adoption has produced sophisticated digital behavior. In many Southeast Asian markets and beyond, consumers spend significant hours online daily, engage across multiple social and messaging platforms, and increasingly turn to mobile devices for entertainment, learning, and social interaction. Reports from global digital behavior firms note that mobile and voice technologies are reshaping how people communicate, access services, and shop—a theme consistent across APAC’s diverse markets.Experience-Centric Consumption and Platform EcosystemsDigital consumers in Asia Pacific are experience-centric: they expect convenience, speed, personalization, and seamless cross-platform journeys. In part, this reflects the success of “super-app” ecosystems in countries such as China, where platforms blend messaging, payments, commerce, and entertainment into unified experiences. These ecosystems have encouraged consumers to transact across contexts—shopping, social media, and lifestyle services—without leaving the digital environment.This expectation of seamless experience also influences how brands interact with consumers. Research by Adobe and Econsultancy suggests that digital experience maturity is closely linked to business performance in the region. Only a small minority of companies (roughly 8% in APAC) are delivering “exceptional” digital customer experiences that surprise and delight users, while most provide experiences that merely meet or fall short of expectations.Digital experiences today are shaped by richer data, greater personalization, and AI-driven insights. These factors contribute to frictionless engagement—an increasingly powerful differentiator in a competitive landscape where switching costs are low and consumer expectations are high.The Role of Digital Payments and Financial InnovationA critical component of Asia Pacific’s digital consumer landscape is the rapid evolution of payments. Digital wallets and mobile payments are becoming mainstream. Analysts forecast that by 2027, digital wallets will capture roughly 66% of point-of-sale transactions in Asia Pacific, as mobile devices replace cash and cards in everyday purchases.The appetite for digital financial services extends beyond payments. Recent research indicates that 22% of APAC consumers have adopted or use digital assets, a rate nearly three times the global average, with markets like Thailand and India showing particularly high rates of adoption. More than 60% of respondents believe digital assets will play a major role in the future of global finance, and over half expect these technologies to integrate into daily life and support financial inclusion.Consumer Attitudes: Optimism, Caution, and TrustNot all digital engagement is driven purely by enthusiasm. McKinsey’s research on APAC consumer sentiment reveals a nuanced picture: while optimism around spending and experiences persists, consumers also remain cautious about economic uncertainty and shifting costs. Preferences vary by market, but overall, digital engagement patterns suggest resilience even amid headwinds.Trust plays an important role in shaping digital consumption. Digital consumers are becoming more discerning about data privacy and security, with concerns about how personal information is collected and used remaining high across multiple markets. Brands that succeed with digital consumers understand that trust, transparency, and responsible use of data are as important as convenience and personalization.What This Means for Brands and EcosystemsFor companies operating in Asia Pacific, digital consumers represent vast opportunity but also significant complexity. Their behaviors are shaped by diverse cultures, distinct economic conditions, and rapidly shifting digital norms. Winning in this landscape means designing experiences that are not only functional and efficient but emotionally resonant, culturally relevant, and technology-enabled.As digital adoption continues to deepen across APAC—supported by widespread connectivity, dynamic mobile ecosystems, and rising expectations for technology-enabled experiences—the region will remain a bellwether for the future of digital consumption globally. For businesses that can adapt to these expectations, Asia Pacific offers not just scale but insight into the evolving nature of consumer engagement in the digital age.

Jan 14, 2026

The new generation of consumers is reshaping markets around the world, and nowhere is this shift more visible than in their experience-centric and technology-centric expectations. For these consumers, value is no longer defined solely by the product itself, but by the quality of the experience that surrounds it and the role technology plays in enabling that experience. Growing up in a digitally connected world, they see technology not as a feature or add-on, but as an invisible layer that should make interactions seamless, intuitive, and personal.Experience now sits at the core of purchasing decisions. Younger consumers expect brands to understand their preferences, anticipate their needs, and deliver consistent experiences across physical and digital touchpoints. Whether they are shopping online, visiting a store, or engaging on social platforms, they look for continuity and relevance. Friction—slow interfaces, unclear processes, or disconnected channels—is quickly perceived as a failure of the brand. As a result, companies are under pressure to design journeys rather than transactions, focusing on how customers feel before, during, and after an interaction.Technology is the primary enabler of this experience-first mindset. Smartphones, cloud services, artificial intelligence, and data analytics allow brands to personalize content, recommendations, and services at scale. AI-driven interfaces adapt in real time to user behavior, while mobile platforms make access instant and location-independent. For new-generation consumers, these capabilities are not impressive innovations; they are basic expectations. A service that does not leverage technology to save time or add convenience is often seen as outdated.At the same time, experience-centric consumption is deeply social and interactive. Digital natives rely heavily on peer feedback, online communities, and creators to shape their perceptions. Livestream shopping, social commerce, and interactive content blur the line between entertainment and purchasing, turning consumption into a shared, participatory experience. Technology enables this constant interaction, creating feedback loops that influence product design, marketing, and brand identity.This generation is also more attuned to values and purpose, and technology plays a role here as well. They expect transparency, ethical behavior, and sustainability, and they use digital tools to research, compare, and hold brands accountable. Experiences that align with personal values—such as seamless access to sustainable products or clear visibility into sourcing and impact—carry as much weight as price or functionality.Ultimately, the new generation of consumers is redefining competitiveness. Products matter, but experiences matter more. Technology is no longer a differentiator; it is the foundation upon which meaningful, personalized, and value-driven experiences are built. Brands that succeed will be those that understand technology not just as infrastructure, but as a way to connect more deeply with consumers and become a natural part of their everyday lives.

Jan 14, 2026

The Asia Pacific region has become one of the most dynamic arenas for consumer technology innovation, adoption, and scale. Home to some of the world’s largest populations, fastest-growing economies, and most sophisticated manufacturing ecosystems, Asia Pacific is no longer just a production base for global consumer brands. It is increasingly where consumer technologies are conceived, tested, localized, and refined. As digital lifestyles evolve, the region is reshaping what consumer technology looks like—and how it fits into everyday life.At the center of this shift is the convergence of affordability, connectivity, and platform-driven ecosystems. Rapid smartphone penetration across Asia Pacific has created a digital foundation that spans income levels and geographies, from megacities to rural communities. In markets such as China, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam, smartphones are not simply communication devices; they are gateways to payments, entertainment, commerce, education, and healthcare. This multifunctional role has driven consumer expectations toward seamless, app-based experiences that integrate multiple services into a single digital flow.Consumer technology in Asia Pacific is also increasingly defined by ecosystems rather than standalone devices. In China, super-apps combine messaging, payments, shopping, transportation, and social media into unified platforms that shape daily behavior. In Southeast Asia, similar models are emerging as consumers leapfrog traditional desktop computing and move directly to mobile-first digital services. Hardware, software, and services are deeply intertwined, with devices designed to plug into broader ecosystems of content, commerce, and data.Artificial intelligence is playing a growing role in shaping consumer experiences across the region. AI-driven recommendation systems personalize content and shopping, while voice assistants and computer vision enable more natural interactions with devices. In smart homes, AI adapts lighting, climate, and security to user behavior. In wearables, sensors and analytics support health monitoring and fitness tracking, reflecting a broader shift toward technology that supports wellbeing rather than pure convenience.The Asia Pacific region is also influencing how consumer technologies are designed and manufactured. Proximity to advanced manufacturing hubs allows rapid iteration and customization, enabling brands to respond quickly to local preferences and trends. This tight feedback loop between consumers and manufacturers accelerates innovation cycles and lowers the barrier to experimentation. As a result, Asia Pacific markets often see new device formats, features, and price points earlier than other regions.Affordability and accessibility remain defining characteristics of consumer technology in Asia Pacific. Companies innovate aggressively to deliver high functionality at lower price points, driving mass adoption. This has led to intense competition, shorter product life cycles, and rapid feature diffusion across the market. Technologies that succeed in Asia Pacific often go on to shape global expectations, particularly in emerging markets.Sustainability is beginning to influence consumer technology choices as well. Consumers are showing growing awareness of energy efficiency, device longevity, and environmental impact. In response, manufacturers are exploring modular designs, software-based performance upgrades, and more efficient supply chains. While this shift is still emerging, it reflects broader societal trends across the region toward responsible consumption and environmental stewardship.Perhaps most significantly, Asia Pacific consumers are increasingly active participants in shaping technology trends rather than passive adopters. Social commerce, livestream shopping, and creator-driven platforms have transformed how products are discovered and evaluated. Feedback loops between users, influencers, and brands are short and highly visible, allowing consumer preferences to shape product roadmaps in near real time.The changing face of consumer technologies in Asia Pacific reflects a region where scale meets sophistication, and where digital life is deeply embedded in everyday activity. As technologies become more intelligent, integrated, and human-centric, Asia Pacific will continue to play a defining role in setting the direction of global consumer innovation.

Jan 14, 2026