ASOS is adding a visual search tool to its iOS app in the UK so that shoppers can easily snap up items they see on friends and strangers – online or off. With around a third of people preferring to shop via smartphones, the move looks to make the mobile experience even more efficient.

Why is the peer-to-peer sales model enjoying a renaissance? How do people’s purchases impact their sense of self? What’s got shoppers so cynical about brands’ claims of transparency? And how are brick-and-mortar retailers using technology to enhance the in-store experience?

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?

Mobile commerce is still unchartered territory for many retailers, but it’s predicted to be worth more than $3 trillion by 2017. 'Tinder for shopping' app Grabble is luring shoppers in with a swipe-based interface that brings a whole new meaning to the term ‘impulse buy’.