IDC FutureScape Figure

Figure: IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Future Consumer 2023 Top 10 Predictions

Executive Summary

IDC FutureScape Predictions

Summary of External Drivers

Predictions: Impact on Technology and Consumer Companies

Prediction 1: By 2025, Half of Consumers Will Screen Out Brands Based on the Transparency and Quality of Their Privacy Policy, Forcing Brands to Adopt an Easy-to-Understand Permission-Based Approach

Associated Drivers

Impact

Guidance

Prediction 2: By the End of 2025, More than 20% of Consumers Worldwide Will Have Begun Using Device-as-a-Service Subscriptions for Their Personal Electronics and Smart Home Needs Instead of Buying Devices Outright

Associated Drivers

Impact

Guidance

Prediction 3: In 2026, Consumer Spending on Online Content Provided by Independent Content Creators Will Top $40 Billion Worldwide, Challenging the Hegemony of Legacy Media Companies

Associated Drivers

Impact

Guidance

Prediction 4: By 2027, Blockchain Technology Will Become Mainstream, Touching Over 75% of Common Consumer Activities — Such as Gaming, Content Creation, and eCommerce — and Defining Consumers' Functional Expectations

Associated Drivers

Impact

Guidance

Prediction 5: In 2023, More than 30% of Smart Assistant Users Will Use Voice Platforms to Shop or Purchase Something Online, Driving an Increase in Online Sales of Up to $50 Billion Worldwide

Associated Drivers

Impact

Guidance

Prediction 6: By 2026, 5% of the Top-Ranked 1,000 Universities Worldwide Will Be Running a Persistent, Large-Scale Digital Twin Project for the Benefit of University Students, Faculty, and Local Business Interests

Associated Drivers

Impact

Guidance

Prediction 7: By 2025, Younger Diners Will Help Drive 65% of Restaurant Orders to Be for Takeout (Delivery, Pickup, or Drive-Thru), Accelerating Growth of Kitchen-Only Locations and Third-Party Food Ordering Apps

Associated Drivers

Impact

Guidance

Prediction 8: By 2024, Electric Vehicles Will Double Their Share of New Consumer Vehicle Registrations Globally, Reaching 10%, Accelerating Mainstream Acceptance, Transforming Rideshare, and Driving Public Policy

Associated Drivers

Impact

Guidance

Prediction 9: By 2027, More than 50% of Urban Transit Users Will Integrate Mobility Services into Their Digital Payment Wallets, Moving More Hesitant Consumers to Embrace the Technology

Associated Drivers

Impact

Guidance

Prediction 10: By 2027, 35% of Consumer Flagship Phone Buyers Will Use a Smart Set (Smartphone, Watch, and Earwear) for Entertainment and Getting Around, Pushing Leading Brands to Build Content for Smart Sets

Associated Drivers

Impact

Guidance

Advice for Technology and Consumer Companies

External Drivers: Detail

Inflation and Economic Uncertainty — The New Reality

Work Mode Upheaval — The New Worker/Entrepreneur

Changing Digital Advertising World — Permission Is Here to Stay

Social Media, Gaming, and eCommerce — A Mash-Up Is in the Works

Consumer Content Is King — The Monetization Challenge

Home Base — The Versatile Center

Personal Mobility — In Flux, as Demographics and Tech Change

Healthy Living — Beyond Fitness

eCommerce — Compelling Convenience

Consumers Align Values — Impact on Brand Choices

Proliferation of Payment Possibilities — Choice Abounds!

Less and Less Own Meal Prep — Meal Outsourcing

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