Perspectives for 2026: when “now” becomes strategy
If 2025 was the year of surviving volatility with courage, 2026 looks like the year to play to win. Not because the world has become more predictable, but because companies that learned how to operate in uncertainty are now ready to turn instability into competitive advantage.
The global economy enters 2026 with a clear message: resilience, yes. Comfort, no. The International Monetary Fund projects global growth of around 3.1%, with more moderate expansion in developed economies and stronger momentum in emerging markets. The OECD signals a slightly more cautious scenario, with growth close to 2.9%, reflecting geopolitical tensions, careful monetary policy and ongoing friction in global trade. The World Bank reinforces this view, highlighting that trade barriers and regulatory uncertainty are likely to constrain a stronger recovery.
Translated into business reality: growth in 2026 will demand method, discipline and hard decisions made earlier.
Economy and business: 2026 will be the year of “ambitious pragmatism”
The macroeconomic backdrop for 2026 is shaped by three structural forces.
The first is global trade fragmentation. Shorter supply chains, regionalisation and geopolitical decisions are no longer abstract topics. They directly affect cost structures, delivery times and expansion strategies. International trade becomes a strategic business decision, not just an operational one.
The second force is the maturity of artificial intelligence. The experimentation phase is over. In 2026, AI will be judged on measurable impact on productivity, efficiency and margins. The narrative shifts from innovation to return on investment, and organisations that cannot demonstrate tangible value will struggle to keep up.
The third force is trust as an economic asset. Data security, governance, privacy and the reliability of algorithmic decisions move from technical concerns to the very core of corporate strategy. It is no coincidence that these themes sit at the centre of global technology and management trends.
The opportunity is clear: companies that successfully align strategy, architecture and execution, without excessive process or improvisation, will gain a real competitive edge.
👉 This is where Devovea comes in. When the strategy is sound but execution feels chaotic, Devovea’s 360° Diagnostic brings clarity. It identifies what is blocking results, what can generate impact quickly and which structural decisions need to be addressed now, not later.
The 2026 World Cup: the world’s biggest stage as the ultimate stress test
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be historic. For the first time, it will feature 48 national teams, 104 matches and be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico. For more than five weeks, global attention will be highly concentrated.
For brands, retailers and eCommerce operations, this means extreme traffic peaks, highly volatile demand, impulsive purchasing behaviour and near-zero tolerance for friction. Content, offers, logistics, payments and customer service must operate in perfect synchrony.
Those who treat the World Cup as just another campaign take a significant risk. Those who approach it as a stress test of operational capability and digital maturity have a unique opportunity to gain relevance and market share.
👉 Another Devovea provocation: the Commerce Architecture Blueprint exists precisely to prepare organisations for high-pressure scenarios, mapping critical integrations, risks and decisions before traffic explodes.
eCommerce and retail: in 2026, selling is not enough. You must operate an ecosystem
eCommerce continues to grow, but with greater maturity. Growth slows, competition intensifies and margin becomes central. Expansion returns, but not for those relying solely on volume.
At the same time, digital B2B commerce continues to scale quietly and massively, often surpassing B2C markets in size and impact. Retailers who understand this start thinking in terms of ecosystems, marketplaces, services and diversified revenue streams.
In practice, 2026 is likely to consolidate several clear shifts:
Organisations stuck in a reactive, project-driven model will feel the pressure. Consumers do not tolerate instability, and finance teams do not tolerate rework.
👉 Where Devovea fits: through CPO-as-a-Service and Executive Advisory, we help companies establish governance, prioritisation and metrics that sustain real growth, without inflating teams or complexity.
The real “new normal” of 2026
2026 will favour companies that can do three things simultaneously:
make decisions early, grounded in data; articulate trade-offs transparently; and build trust through consistent delivery.
This is not aspirational language. It is competitive survival.
Ready to turn 2026 into a turning point?
If you want to enter 2026 with a clear strategy, solid architecture and execution that truly delivers, Devovea can act as an extension of your team, from diagnostics and blueprints to executive advisory and fractional leadership.
👉 Get in touch and tell us where it hurts today: conversion, operations, integrations, roadmap, margins, team structure or governance. We help organise complexity, prioritise what matters and build a plan that works in the real world.
Sources:
➥ World Economic Outlook 2024/2025. https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO
➥ OECD Economic Outlook. https://www.oecd.org/economic-outlook/
➥ Global Economic Prospects. https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/global-economic-prospects
➥ FIFA World Cup 2026 Overview. https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026
➥ FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Schedule and Format. https://www.fifa.com/en/articles/fifa-world-cup-2026-match-schedule
➥ Global Ecommerce Forecast. https://www.insiderintelligence.com/insights/global-ecommerce-forecast/
➥ B2B E-commerce Market Size & Forecast. https://www.statista.com/topics/1479/b2b-e-commerce/
➥ UNCTAD Global E-commerce Statistics. https://unctad.org/topic/ecommerce-and-digital-economy
➥ Gartner Top Strategic Technology Trends for 2026. https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/top-strategic-technology-trends
2026 STARTS NOW
Prepare your strategy to grow in a more complex and competitive world
2026 will be a year of early decisions, operations under pressure and consumers with lower tolerance for failure. Companies that align strategy, architecture and execution move ahead. Devovea supports leaders and teams in turning uncertainty into competitive advantage by structuring eCommerce, marketplaces and digital products designed to scale with consistency, margin and governance.
