Future Forecast 2026 : Report
What does 2026 have in store for your sector? The most anticipated report of the year breaks down the 50 trends set to shape the coming year.
Photography by Landiva Weber, Brazil
In an era defined by geopolitical tension, economic turbulence and algorithmic saturation, the consumer landscape is fragmenting and reforming at speed. Social commerce and zero-click search are redefining how discovery, desire and decision-making unfold online, while AI-generated content is prescribing experiences and flooding feeds with infinite, indistinguishable ‘slop’.
What's in the report?
Future Forecast 2026 is a forward-looking guide to the ideas, behaviours and innovations shaping the next era of global culture. Across 10 pivotal sectors – from beauty and fashion to food, travel, design and media – this report reveals how emotional intelligence, cultural participation and adaptive systems will redefine value, connection and creativity in the year ahead.
In Food and Drink, zebra-striping between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks reveals how younger consumers are reshaping pleasure around balance, choice and longevity. Design is entering an era of human–machine symbiosis, where biomorphic branding, illustrative imperfection and co-authored processes create a new dialogue between intuition, computation and nature.
In the Retail sector, mandated transparency and creator-led storefronts are reshaping trust, access and accountability. Luxury is evolving from storytelling to storyliving, while the secondary market is gaining new cultural significance as provenance becomes a marker of identity, creativity and ethical value.
Beauty is moving into its era of adaptive care, defined by emotional intimacy, protection and transparency. Meanwhile, in Sport, Health and Wellness optimisation is shifting to presence – embracing rhythmic living and expanding community sport models that frame movement as joy, restoration and belonging.
In Fashion, archival exhibitions, biotech textiles, fandom-driven merchandise and sport-fashion collaborations are demonstrating an interconnected, participatory cultural eco-system. Travel and Hospitality is expanding towards renewal and reconnection, reframing exploration as an act of belonging – not escape.
In Culture and Media, the rise of watch parties, conversational content and evolving fandoms signals a landscape increasingly shaped by participation, co-authorship and emotional connection. Finally, Marketing, Advertising and Branding is moving towards cultural fluency, honesty and purpose-led communication as audiences demand depth and realness.
Together, these insights make Future Forecast 2026 a roadmap to the future across industries and a toolkit for those ready to embrace tomorrow’s opportunities. Dive in to discover how your business can stay ahead in this dynamic landscape.
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