Uber

Charts: Thematic Shift to AI, Infrastructure, and Agents

A16z's 'Charts of the Week' analyzes recent market and labor trends: ETFs are seeing record inflows and thematic leadership has shifted from clean energy and healthcare (2020) to AI, nuclear, space, defense, and infrastructure (2026). Data-center construction represents a large share of non-residential spending in some US states and is associated with higher local wages and job growth; Indeed and ADP data show sizable pay premiums for data-center roles. Rideshare fares (especially Uber) have risen since 2024 with platform fees and driver pay also increasing. Gig-work is growing, with social commerce expanding rapidly. On AI, token consumption and sophisticated tool adoption are concentrating in power users: top-decile firms and agents are driving disproportionate token usage, cached tokens are fueling growth, and agent usage has surged versus human usage. Early signs suggest agentic AI may disrupt legacy automation tooling.

Mid-2026 Consumers Buy Less, Spend More Per Order

A mid-year benchmark from impact.com, covering 2,319 same-store retail brands in H1 2026, finds US consumers making fewer purchases but spending more per order. Transactions fell 7% year-over-year while average order value (AOV) rose 16% (from $111 to $130), producing an overall 8% increase in consumer spend. Per-item prices paid rose 13% YoY while online list prices increased only 2–3% (Adobe Digital Insights). Click volume rose 6% but conversion rates dropped 12%, indicating longer consideration cycles. Partnership channels shifted: Loyalty & Rewards grew its share (51% to 54%), Technology Solutions partners increased transaction volume (+15% YoY), and Voucher/Coupon partners declined (11% to 5%). Brands increased total spending on partners (+10% YoY) and moved toward performance-based commission models.

WRITER Named Market Shaper in Gartner AI Agents Report

WRITER, an enterprise AI agent platform, was recognized as a Market Shaper in Gartner’s inaugural Emerging Market Quadrant™ for AI Agents for Marketing — Startup Vendors. The mention follows WRITER’s recent product updates, including the release of Palmyra X6 and major upgrades to WRITER Agent, plus enterprise features like Playbooks, Skills, brand controls, prebuilt connectors to major enterprise systems, and governance capabilities. Gartner defines Market Shapers as vendors with high potential for market disruption and execution. WRITER cites large enterprise customers using the platform to scale agentic marketing and revenue workflows.