VML Future 100: How are brands making the week easier?

This article is available for reading in Trade magazin 2026/04

Transformation, not escape

In September-November 2025 15,639 adults were surveyed in 16 countries (Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, France, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, UK and the US). In 2026 uncertainty isn’t a temporary disturbance, but a permanent state of affairs. Consumers are responding to this not simply by switching off, but by demanding to regain control. 73% plan to focus more consciously on personal development in the coming year and 72% would like to connect with something bigger than themselves. 83% would like social media platforms to finally provide a “truly social” experience. The general mood is one of fatigue and tension: 86% say that people are more divided and less willing to listen to each other. Expectations of brands are practical and 74% believe that brands should speak in human language.

Cost pressure: the new logic of the shopping basket

The squeeze on living costs is reflected in a tangible shift in spending. According to VML’s net spending balance, global spending is increasing on children (+21%) and moderately on food and shopping (+13%), healthcare (+8%) and utilities/public services (+8%), while many other items are seeing a decline – the sharpest include alcoholic beverages (-24%) and high-value purchases (-31%). In such an environment the shopping basket isn’t “cheaper” but more stringent: there are more compromises and less patience for vague promises. What works well is a clear offer, e.g. predictable pricing and promotional logic, transparent packaging and selection, etc. In 2026 the focus of well-being will shift less toward spectacular lifestyle changes and more toward everyday resilience. Routine-friendly solutions are becoming more valuable: simple, fast, repeatable and predictable – and requiring no extra energy investment. How experience is viewed is shifting: what matters is whether it leaves something behind – 91% appreciate it when an experience stays with them and 88% think it should be meaningful.

The store as a meeting place

In 2026 the advantage of physical stores won’t be in the transaction, but in the presence. 74% of respondents believe stores need to offer more than just products: they should strive to engage and entertain. 86% see the great advantage of physical stores in that they appeal to multiple senses. For many people shopping is a social activity: 69% believe that shopping is fundamentally a communal occasion. Experience-based retail isn’t a backdrop, but a traffic-generating reason to be present. When it comes to AI, there is a mixed feeling – the technology is both a promise and a risk. While 73% feel that we are rushing into the use of AI too quickly without thinking through the consequences, 58% still reckon technology can make the world a better place. The most pressing issue is credibility, as 71% believe that AI makes it impossible to understand what is true