Once a signifier of luxury or novelty, custom products and services are now within reach of the everyday consumer, thanks to the rise of artificial intelligence, algorithm-led platforms, and the COVID-era digitisation boom. Today, everyone wants to be the main character of their brand experience.

As the new post-pandemic normal settles in and people adapt to a context of uncertainty, constant adversities, and pessimism, we are moving away from a moment in which consumers expected brands to rise up to society's challenges and into one when they’re demanding genuine allyship from businesses.

With average prices at an all-time high and the number of people living on their own increasing, buying a home in America is harder than ever. CoBuy is offering a solution to unlock home-ownership, enabling people to get on the property ladder in a simple, safe, and easy way via co-ownership.

While people may be used to the idea of renting a place to live, renting furniture – from cameras to coffee machines to couches – is less commonplace. Circular economy marketplace Fat Llama connects people who have things they want to rent out to those who would like to borrow them.

Wagestream lets people see what they have earned in real-time and can provide access to their wages at any time during their pay cycle. This can prevent people from going into overdraft or taking out expensive payday loans – particularly important during the financial uncertainty of the pandemic.

The outbreak of COVID-19 in America dramatically reshaped everyday financial habits – from causing a sharp drop in commute-based spending to leading some people to splurge on their pets. But how might these sudden changes impact the ways Americans spend and save in the long term?