The Next Generation of Commerce

Consumers have higher expectations than ever before.

Retailers must make research intuitive and delivery instantaneous.

Brands must craft a consistent and creative digital narrative.

Startups and established businesses alike must improve and innovate upon services from driving to home improvement.

A large part of this shift has to do with the rise of the Millennial and Generation Z consumer - many of the platforms these 18-30 year-olds grew up on are spearheading trends in social commerce, mobile payments and the sharing economy.

Already, companies have adapted and found ways to fluidly weave their content and offerings into these spaces to appeal to these younger generations.

Yet, there are still areas left to be pioneered, with boundless opportunity for brand exploration:

• What are the implications of crowdsourcing platforms, such as Postmates and Taskrabbit, for creating a society that enables instant wish-fulfillment, and what can brands learn from this trend?
• To what extent are consumers looking to gain visibility into the supply/demand formula? How important is “real-time” interaction with brands for delivery?
• What are the most impactful channels and moments for editorial brand content?
• How can brands accurately tell their story in a way that is engaging to consumers, and what factors come into consideration for emotional influence in a purchase decision?
• Which physical spaces and commodities are still left to be mined digitally, and how can brands build on existing technology and goods to produce better experiences?

This report addresses these questions head on by unpacking how consumers prefer to interact with brands. It also identifies what’s missing from the customer experience and what consumers expect from the future.

The next generation of commerce will be more than the sum of its parts, and marketers need to keep a holistic strategy in mind that takes into account the full consumer experience and how consumers want to see branded content, engage with and even purchase and receive products from brands.