[New] Another 2026 influencer marketing prediction is that social commerce will hit its stride as a standard way people shop online.
Stack Influence
[New] Shopping directly within social media apps (like TikTok Shop and Facebook) is a primary sales channel, with global sales forecast to exceed $1.17 trillion in 2026.
Wiserreview
[New] Total Online Shoppers: Approximately 2.86 billion people are expected to shop online globally in 2026.
Wiserreview
[New] Consumers in North America and Europe will expect to shop anytime, anywhere, whether via a phone, a social feed, or talking to an AI, and receive their purchase quickly.
Omnichannel Customer Engagement Platform
[New] Regardless of whether or not consolidation comes for commerce media, the disruption of how people shop online (read: use AI agents) will likely continue in 2026, which experts predict will have ripple effects in commerce media.
Morning Brew
[New] Affiliate marketing within the UK will continue to grow in 2026, with the focus on performance-driven commissions, the growing adoption of affiliate marketing software, and the introduction of the platform-based on influence, including TikTok Shop.
BusinAssist Blog
[New] A notable portion of American households shop at grocery stores weekly, creating extensive reach and frequent purchase opportunities for gluten-free baking mixes that align with regular shopping patterns and impulse buying behaviours.
Market Data Forecast
[New] Most Whole Foods run about 40,000 square feet, while Daily Shop locations will be between 7,000 and 14,000 square feet and carry a smaller stock of a few hundred items.
Tasting Table
Coffee shop Dutch Bros opened 160 new locations in 2025, and plans to open 175 more in 2026, giving stalwarts like Starbucks a run for their money.
Cheapism
Siemens' Industrial Copilot integrates AI directly on the shop floor for rapid decision-making, while collaborations with companies like JetZero showcase the use of digital twins to de-risk manufacturing and accelerate innovation.
Bizclik Media Ltd
Social commerce (Instagram Checkout, Shop tabs) becomes an expected feature, with DM-based shopping flows streamlining the purchase journey.
AI Video Cut
Many brands in the U.S. are struggling with tariffs, which could explain why prices are higher on TikTok Shop if companies are passing along costs to consumers.
Digiday
Visa says it remains on track to deliver secure, personalized AI-enabled commerce to consumers by early 2026, marking a sea-change in how customer shop online.
FinExtra
Super Saturday shoppers are expected to embrace multiple channels in 2025, with nearly half, or 71.6 million, planning to shop both in-store and online, up from 69.5 million in 2024.
Midland Paper
As consumers grow more comfortable with using AI, retail industry leaders see 2026 as a pivotal year in shaping how the emerging technology disrupts the way people shop.
eMarketer
By 2025, everyone, from healthcare professionals to the neighborhood coffee shop, will be leveraging audio content to tell their tales.
gotcha! Mobile Solutions
Super Saturday shoppers are expected to use multiple channels in 2025, with 45% planning to shop in-store and online.
Arkansas Online
In the U.S., social commerce is on track to exceed $100 billion in annual sales by the mid-2020s, fueled heavily by TikTok Shop, Instagram Shopping, Facebook / Meta platforms and retail media tie-ups.
The AI Innovator
Last updated: 12 January 2026
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