Vilnius
English, Lithuanian, Russian
Vitalij is a Senior Research Manager at Euromonitor International. Based in Vilnius, he is responsible for managing a team of experienced analysts, who conduct research into services and payments and retail industries in Eastern Europe and Nordic countries.
Vitalij advises clients across a range of categories in retail, foodservice, travel and payments on changing consumer preferences, digitalisation and channels shifts, amongst other key trends. Prior to joining Euromonitor International, Vitalij gained experience in the banking sphere, where he was responsible for supporting corporate customers.
The post-pandemic price spikes have eased across much of Latin America, but 2026 is no clean recovery: inflation has settled near 4% and prices keep rising. Years of stacked increases have changed how people shop. This is inflation fatigue – consumers are not just spending less, they have become tactical, and the winners will adapt to it.
One in two consumers globally are using ChatGPT to search for products in 2026. Nearly four in five say AI has introduced them to a brand they hadn't considered before. And yet, we ask a shopper in Shanghai and a shopper in Seattle how they use generative AI to buy things, and there are two different stories that barely resemble each other.
AI is becoming retail’s new front door, transforming how consumers discover, evaluate and choose products. Now, retailers and brands face a critical question: can AI move beyond discovery and start rewiring the rest of the shopper journey?
