Speed and convenience have become the consumer norm. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, when people worldwide were introduced to instant access to goods and services via apps and digital platforms, the supply and demand considerably grew and splintered. The 'I need it now' culture shows no signs of slowing down, ye...

The consistency and efficiency of e-commerce – with one-click ordering and same-day delivery – is driving greater expectations of traditional retailers. How are brick-and-mortar stores adopting features of online shopping, and what digital services do people want to see on the high street?

Perks like free and next-day delivery have become the norm in online shopping, but returns are lagging behind. Aiming to make the process faster, easier and smoother is Happy Returns, which lets shoppers take unwanted items to Return Bars located in malls and stores to get an instant refund.

With 75% of the world lacking an address, a sizeable chunk of the population is effectively living off the grid. What3words is looking to solve this by dividing the planet into 3m by 3m areas and assigning three-word combinations, making it quick and easy to find any location on Earth.

The rise of click-and-collect services has seen consumers shun home deliveries in favour of visiting high street stores. ‘Delivery-to-mobile’ aims to make delivery convenient again, getting parcels to moving locations and cutting costs. Can it meet the needs of increasingly on-demand lifestyles?