Signals

Global – Dating app Hinge has launched One More Hour, a social impact initiative aimed at combatting Gen Z’s feelings of loneliness. Timed to coincide with the Global Day of Unplugging on 1–2 March 2024, Hinge has introduced a pocket-sized Phonebook packed with over 100 pages of activities to encourage face-to-face connections. A survey from Hinge reveals that 75% of Gen Zers in the US feel less lonely when spending time with others offline. The Phonebook, which is similar in size to a smartphone, features creative ideas such as ‘sketch-ies’ instead of selfies and using food waste as clothing dye.

Food-focused creative collective Aerthship, Jamaican American chef DeVonn Francis and drag artist Steak Diane contributed to the analogue content. Young adults across the US can order a free copy or download it from Hinge’s website, with 2,000 copies available. In addition, Hinge plans to prompt its users to embrace tech-free moments on 29 February, encouraging meaningful offline interactions in celebration of the Global Day of Unplugging.

This aligns with the findings of our upcoming Generations: Now and Next 2024–2025 report and also reiterates the importance of dating apps responding to users’ changing digital behaviour, as revealed in Five Apps Introducing the Next Generation of Dating.

Global – IBM’s 2024 report, Revolutionize Retail with AI Everywhere: Customers Won’t Wait, sheds light on the widening gap between consumers’ expectations and the current retail landscape. In a survey of nearly 20,000 global consumers, the study reveals stark dissatisfaction with both in-store (9% satisfaction) and online (14% satisfaction) shopping experiences. But there is optimism about technology’s potential to enhance the shopping journey, with over half of respondents expressing interest in AI-driven features like virtual assistants (55%) and applications (59%) – findings that are in line with insights from our EQ-Commerce macrotrend report.

Economic considerations, particularly inflation, are significantly influencing consumer behaviour, with 62% citing price as a key factor in switching stores or brands. Flexibility in payment options is also in demand, with 55% desiring more varied payment methods and 46% expressing interest in paying for purchases in instalments.

Moreover, consumers are calling for improvements in physical retail spaces, including a greater variety of products (37%), more product information (26%) and faster checkout processes (26%). Interestingly, there is a notable trend towards digitally integrated in-store experiences, with 65% of consumers using mobile apps while shopping.