Leading trend forecasting agency WGSN has revealed seven emerging priorities reshaping expectations of Asia’s shoppers for retail this year and beyond –from aspirational solo lifestyles to humanized artificial intelligence (AI).
WGSN’s Insight Strategist Alison Ho, Consumer Researcher Natacia Lim and Senior Insight Strategist for Asia-Pacific (APAC) Rohini Wahi said Asia’s shoppers remain optimistic and confident despite global economic and geopolitical volatility and “they are demanding more from brands.”
Ho, Lim and Wahi said that in an already hyper-optimized retail landscape, AI must move beyond efficiency to reduce friction, support everyday life and deliver moments of familiarity and delight.
“Shifting household structures will also expand demand for products and services that support identity, intimacy and emotional connection,” they said in sample pages of WGSN report.
“As shoppers balance play, fantasy and immersion with meaning and cultural resonance, brands must root themselves in regional narratives and emerging definitions of Asian prestige to engage confident, highly fluent consumers who now have more options than ever to remix their spending across categories, channels, destinations and priorities,” they added.
The report said shoppers’ priorities are Living in Wonderland, Living with intelligence, Solo-fication, Shaping the middle, Aspiring towards Asia, Returning to reality, and Elsewhere spending.
“Asian shoppers are chasing fantasy by spending on idols, characters and fictional worlds that help them connect with their favorite versions of life and themselves. For brands, connection will require blurring the lines between imagination and reality,” it said.
The report underscored the need to immerse shoppers in hyperreality and embark on fantasy and character play.
“Brands must up the ante on play, creativity, and imagination, crafting immersive brand worlds that resonate emotionally, offer cultural meaning and deliver strategic joy,” it said, citing Hermès’ Mystery at the Grooms pop-up in Tokyo that transformed brand codes into an immersive mystery theater experience.
Ho, Lim and Wahi said APAC consumers of all ages are embracing kidulting, with Gen X collectors leading the collectible resale surge in Singapore (Carousell). This is driving opportunities for intellectual property collaborations across cute culture, ACG (anime, comics and games) and media and entertainment titles.
“Brands must embed themselves more deeply within regional fandoms to remain culturally relevant,” they said.
On Living with intelligence, the report said expectations will expand beyond the need for speed as shoppers demand mistake-free, context-aware intelligence that makes daily life easier, while remaining human and reassuring.
“As demand for speed and convenience grows, brands must balance automation with consumer agency, designing personalized AI that can deliver both agentic efficiency and high-touch human intelligence,” it said. “Move from fast to frictionless and mistake-free.”
Ho, Lim and Wahi said solo consumers are a fast-growing and underserved cohort in APAC.
“As independent living is reframed as aspirational, and as more people embrace solo-living, shoppers will seek products and experiences that make life alone easier and more emotionally fulfilling,” they said. “...Brands must validate and empower the voice of inner authority.”
On shaping the middle, the report said brands need to prepare for an increasingly diverse base of mid-market consumers, who will be trading up and down to remix their spend across aspiration, practicality and value.
“As Asian soft power matures, taste and credibility will be read through intra-Asian circulation, interlocal fluency, and ‘made in Asia’ expertise,” it said on “Aspiring towards Asia”.
On Returning to reality, Ho, Lim and Wahi said shoppers who are overwhelmed by digital and fantasy worlds will seek products and experiences that are sensorial, grounding and human.
“Elsewhere spending: willingness to spend is peaking in away-from-home moments, extending travel retail into a continuous journey across planning, transit, discovery and revisit,” they added.
PHILEXPORT News and FeaturesPublished: March 6, 2026
Photo source: Generative AI
