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Americans have long ogled the rich, but the countrys widening wealth gapand the billionaires fueling ithave been facing growing scrutiny. The news that Elon Musk is on track to be the worlds first trillionaire came the same week that a judge ordered the Trump administration to fully fund food stamps, as 42 million Americans were left without the benefits they need to buy food. (The Trump administration appealed that ruling.) New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, made national headlines throughout his campaign for highlighting the affordability crisis in the city. Mamdani received support from figures like former labor secretary Robert Reich and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who have frequently criticized billionaires. Even singer Billie Eilish called out the ultra wealthy recently. If youre a billionaire, why are you a billionaire? she said while announcing an $11.5 million donation (about 23% of her net worth), before urging billionaires to give away their money. A new Harris Poll shared exclusively with Fast Company highlights how everyday Americans are paying more attention to this inequalityand how they oscillate between admiring and admonishing the wealthy. An economic system that works best for the rich In the Americans & Billionaires survey, now in its third year, only 28% of respondents said that the current U.S. economic system works well for most people. Instead, 35% said it prioritizes the ultra wealthy, and 36% said it offers opportunitybut not equally. Nearly three-quarters of Americans say wealth inequality is a serious national issue. Americans are also directly blaming billionaires for the financial struggles they face. Sixty-seven percent said billionaires are creating more of an unfair society, an eight-point increase from the 2024 survey. That sentiment was also higher among Gen Z and millennials, 72% of whom agreed with the statement compared to 62% of Gen X and baby boomers. Fifty-five percent of Americans said that billionaires make it harder to achieve my American dream; for Gen Z and millennials, the share was 65%. And theyre also generally over seeing extreme wealth on display: 74% of respondents say that billionaires are over-celebrated in U.S. culture. ‘The era of the untouchable billionaire is over’ When calling out inequality, people often point to the ways billionaires could help the rest of the world. Mamdani ran in part on taxing the wealthy in order to pay for free childcare and buses; others have noted how taxing the rich could fund universal healthcare, end world hunger, and address climate change. Americans broadly believe that the more wealth someone has, the more responsibility they have to the world, the Harris Poll found. Seventy-two percent of Americans agreed that billionaires have an ethical responsibility” to address the worlds humanitarian crisesup four points from the year priorand 69% said billionaires have a responsibility to better society, and should give back. Across all age groups, Harris Poll saw an increase in the percent of Americans who want a limit on wealth accumulation, compared to 2024. The era of the untouchable billionaire is over, Libby Rodney, chief strategy officer and futurist at The Harris Poll, says in a statement. Americans want wealth to work harder, for society, not just for shareholders. Still, they dont seem to have much hope that billionaires will do so; 76% of respondents agreed with the statement that billionaires are more concerned about protecting themselves than helping others. One area billionaires are wading into, though, is politics. Billionaires like Bill Ackman spent millions opposing Mamdanis race for mayor, and Musk notoriously enmeshed himself in the federal government this year. Americans are growing wary of that trend: 7 in 10 wish billionaires played a smaller role in U.S. politics. Americans want wealth for security These sentiments toward the rich dont completely preclude people from wanting to join their ranks. Even though 76% of Americans admit that billionaires benefit from a broken system, six in ten still said that they want to become a billionaire one day. But its also clear that Americans aspire to wealth because it seems like one of the only ways to survive our continuous, mounting economic shocks. Two-thirds of Gen Z and millennials said that they aspire for extreme wealth not for success, but for security in an increasingly unstable economy. Overall, 52% of Americans agreed with the statement that If I was a billionaire, then all my problems would be solved. Gen Z doesnt want to be billionaires for bragging rights, they want safety in an uncertain economy, Rodney says. Theyre rewriting the rules of ambition, turning wealth into a survival strategy, not a status symbol.
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E-Commerce
Some of my best ideas come to me when Im exercising. At least I think theyre some of my best ideas; by the time I actually get a chance to write them down, Ive often forgotten them. While you could argue that something I was unable to remember for an hour or so cant be that great, still: weve all had things we wanted to remember, but couldnt. So what can you do if you need to remember something important? Most memory-improvement techniqueslike mnemonics, chunking, and building memory palacesinvolve a fair amount of effort. But these simple strategies to improve your short-term memory and recall require almost no effortand very little time. 1. Say it out loud Weve all been around people who repeat things theyre learning out loud. Or just mouth the words. They look a little odd: smart people just file knowledge away. They dont have to talk to themselves. Actually, smart people do talk to themselves. A study published Learning, Memory, and Cognition found that saying words out loudor just mouthing themmakes them more distinctive by separating them from all the other words youre thinking. In short, saying words out loud makes them different. Which makes them more memorable. So go ahead. When you need to remember something, say it aloud. Or mouth it to yourself. Your cerebral cortex will thank you for it. 2. Predict whether you will actually remember Sounds odd, I know. But a study published in the Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology shows the simple act of asking yourself whether you will remember something significantly improves the odds that you will remember, in some cases by as much as 50%. Thats especially true for remembering things you want to do. Psychologists call them prospective memories: remembering to perform a planned action, or recall a planned intention, at some point in the future. Like remembering to praise an employee, email a customer, or implement a schedule change. Why this works is somewhat unclear. Maybe the act of predicting is a little like testing yourself; research shows that quizzing yourself is an extremely effective way to speed up the learning process. What is clear is that the act helps your hippocampus better form and index those episodic memories for later access. So if you want to remember to do something in the future, take a second and predict whether you will remember. Science says that act alone makes it more likely you will. 3. Rehearse for 40 seconds Memory consolidation is the process of transforming temporary memories into more stable, long-lasting memories. Even though the process of memory consolidation can be sped up, still: Storing a memory in a lasting way takes time. One way to increase the odds is to rehearse whatever you want to remember for 40 seconds. A study published in The Journal of Neuroscience found that a brief period of rehearsallike replaying an event in your mind, going over what someone said in a meeting, or mentally mapping out a series of stepsmakes it significantly more likely that you will remember what you rehearsed. As the researchers write, that brief period of rehearsal has a huge effect on our ability to remember complex, lifelike events over periods of one to two weeks. We have also linked this rehearsal effect to processing in a particular part of the brain: the posterior cingulate. Which should be long enough for you to actually do something with whatever you hope to remember. 4. Close your eyes for 2 minutes A study published in Nature Reviews Psychology found that . . . even two minutes of rest with your eyes closed can improve memory, perhaps to the same degree as a full night of sleep. Psychologists call it offline waking rest. In its purest form, offline waking rest can be closing your eyes and zoning out for a couple of minutes. But offline waking rest can also be daydreaming. Mind-wandering. Meditating. Basically turning your mind off for a minute or two. While mentally disconnecting doesnt sound productive, when it comes to remembering more, it is: without those intermittent periods of lack of focus, memory consolidation doesnt occur nearly as efficiently. So go ahead and zone out for a couple minutes. As the researchers write, Moments of unoccupied rest should be recognized as a critical contributor to human waking cognitive functions rather than a waste of time. Cant beat that.
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E-Commerce
As 2026 takes shape, the most successful leaders will adopt new tools with responsibility and vision while keeping the human side of shopping alive. These 10 tech trends in retail tech and AI are evolving, transforming how brands design, distribute, and deliver experiences. These are not distant forecasts, but happening in real time across retailers, marketplaces, and consumer ecosystems. 1. Predictive intent engines Reactive personalization is being replaced by predictive intent engines. Instead of waiting for a customer to browse, AI anticipates the customer’s next wants based on contextual data like weather, life events, and even local cultural moments. For example, as outdoor searches tick upward in specific regions, retailers surface camping gear. The upside is deeper relevance. As with every trend, there are risks. Here, if the timing is too perfect, the relevance can feel intrusive to the customer. 2. Retail copilots for associates When I talk to retail teams, many describe how AI copilots are becoming the new work partner for associates. In practice, staff use smart glasses and mobile assistants to feed real-time product data, customer history, or upsell suggestions. Frontline employees transform from reactive clerks to proactive advisors. The challenge is keeping interactions authentic. Customers want genuine conversations, not AI scripts delivered through a human face. 3. Algorithmic supply webs The supply chain is no longer a straight line but a web of constantly reconfiguring nodes. Retailers tell me their systems now simulate thousands of scenarios dailyrerouting orders, shifting suppliers, or adjusting transportation paths on the fly. I see this trend especially in grocery and fashion, where volatility is high. Supply webs provide resilience, but also create a transparency challenge. Shoppers and regulators will want to know how these algorithmic choices affect workers and sustainability. 4. Immersive brand layers Immersive storytelling is moving from pilot projects to mainstream adoption. Augmented reality is layered into packaging, storefronts, and mobile apps. One apparel brand I follow lets customers scan a tag to see the products journey from fiber to fashion show. Another uses AR mirrors to project outfit combinations in the store. The brand layers transform shopping into a multimedia experience. The challenge is keeping it purposeful rather than gimmicky. 5. Microfactories near the customer More retailers are experimenting with localized, AI-driven microfactories. These factories can 3D-print fashion accessories, produce limited-run beauty items, or assemble electronics close to demand centers. I recently saw a footwear brand offering near-instant customization at an urban hub, with shoes ready within days. The opportunity is speed and personalization. The challenge is cost. Microfactories remain expensive compared to global mass production. 6. Real-time sustainability scores Retailers are making sustainability metrics visible at the shelf or checkout. Shoppers now see carbon impact scores, packaging grades, or ethical sourcing flags. AI crunches supplier and logistics data to make this possible. One grocer is piloting real-time sustainability dashboards in an app, so shoppers can compare two items not just by price but by footprint. The opportunity is radical transparency. The challenge is to ensure credible numbers and avoid greenwashing in a new format. 7. Autonomous merchandising systems Conversations with merchandising leaders reveal how manual planning cycles are being replaced by AI-driven systems making thousands of small decisions daily. Platforms decide which colors to stock by neighborhood, which SKUs to pull from digital shelves, or how to rotate assortments dynamically. The benefit is responsiveness. The risk involves blind spots: Without human oversight, algorithms can miss cultural nuances or local contexts. 8. Neural commerce platforms Commerce is dissolving into everyday life through connected devices. Smart fridges reorder staples. Cars let drivers voice-order coffee and have it waiting at the next stop. Voice assistants anticipate weekly needs without prompting. Retail is becoming neural, with systems firing across networks without friction. The opportunity is effortless convenience. The challenge is maintaining customer agencyretailers must ensure that shoppers feel in control of purchases instead of letting automation decide entirely. 9. Data collaboratives across competitors Retailers are starting to collaborate on data despite fierce competition. Shared, anonymized pools of information strengthen forecasting, reduce waste, and help optimize logistics. For example, several mid-sized fashion brands are joining forces to track demand signals and cut excess inventory. The opportunity is collective intelligence. The challenge is trustdeciding what to share and how to govern these collaboratives fairly. 10. Leadership as technology stewardship The last trend isn’t a tool but a leadership evolution. Executives are now judged by how they steward technology responsibly. I observe boards asking harder questions: How are algorithms monitored for bias? How is customer privacy respected? How is staff retrained for AI collaboration? There’s an opportunity to build brands trusted as responsible innovators. The challenge is balancing the speed of adoption with careful stewardship in a space where technology is evolving faster than regulation. The future: 2026 and beyond When I put these trends together, the picture is clear: Retail in 2026 is not just using technology, it is becoming technology. Predictive engines anticipate demand, copilots empower staff, immersive layers engage customers, and neural commerce embeds shopping into everyday life. But the deeper story is about responsibility. Customers demand transparency, regulators demand accountability, and employees demand clarity about their role in AI-shaped workplaces. The retailers who win will not be the ones with the flashiest tech but the ones who use it thoughtfully, balancing automation with humanity. A new playbook is emerging that will anticipate needs, empower people, embed transparency, and lead with stewardship. Those who follow it will not just adapt to the future of retail; they will shape it. Charisma Glassman is the group vice president and global head of retail applied advisory at Genpact.
Category:
E-Commerce
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