This special edition of Digital Transformation Monthly begins the new year with a review of the major digital marketing trends and developments that shaped a range of sectors in 2021, a year that was in many ways defined by the unprecedented one before it, but which still contributed several surprises and challenges of its own.

The report offers up predictions for the year ahead, including what developments may be here to stay, and what form they might take in the longer term. It covers:

  • Q-commerce: Quick commerce or ‘q-commerce’ has taken off in the last year, but how can new and incumbent competitors in this fast-paced, high-pressure area of retail ensure viability in the long term?
  • Online shopping: How are new technologies such as live video and augmented reality helping retailers fill the experience gap between online and brick-and-mortar retail, and what trends are emerging as attention turns towards the metaverse and mixed reality?
  • ‘Just Walk Out’: With contactless payments and cashierless shopping now firmly established in the form of ‘scan, pay and go’, how did Amazon’s ‘Just Walk Out’ technology add to this mix, and where will it lead in the year ahead?
  • Travel boom: With travel bookings on the rise again but consumer confidence still shaky, travel brands are embracing a variety of measures designed to entice customers back. How could an alliance between fintech and travel companies add to these offerings?
  • Finance: 2021 saw many traditional financial services follow in the footsteps of fintech disruptors in a bid to compete. What measures are these fintech challengers taking to advance customer experience and continue steering the competition?