With store closures, reduced custom, and an abundance of excess stock, the luxury industry is feeling the impact of the pandemic. Alibaba hopes that Luxury Soho, a platform to sell excess stock at discounted prices, will lure Chinese Gen Zers into post-COVID-19 spending.

Combining hypebeasts’ fandom of limited-edition drops and owning pair upon pair of coveted sneakers with accessibility and affordability, the AR-style Aglet app is letting the sneaker-obsessed get in-app versions of the shoes they love and crave without actually having to buy them.

CARLYs – younger Gen Zers who are known for going deep into the niches of meme culture and spending money they didn’t earn – are growing up in an uncertain world. What does this burgeoning group want from brands? And how will they change the game once they begin spending their own money?

As the US reopens and works to restore some forms of pre-pandemic normalcy, people are trying to decide whether to stick to online shopping or to purchase food and clothes in-store. Canvas8 spoke to eight Americans to find out how they feel about shopping post-lockdown.