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Social Media Has Hijacked the Australian Shopping Journey and Brands Risk Falling Behind, Research Finds

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Six in ten Australians act on products they see on social media, forcing brands to rethink discovery, trust and conversion

MELBOURNE, Australia, July 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Australian shopping journey has been rewritten. Social media is now driving purchase decisions at scale, fundamentally reshaping how consumers discover, evaluate and buy products and forcing brands to rethink how they go to market.

New research from Pattern reveals that six in ten Australians now take action after seeing a product on social media, signalling a major shift in how retail demand is created. The research shows that 60% of Australians search for products on Google after seeing them on social media. Half of shoppers also report clicking through to a brand or retailer’s website and 41% go directly to Amazon. This highlights a fundamental change, where social media is no longer just influencing demand, it’s actively generating it at scale.

“Australia’s social commerce market is projected to grow 20% annually to reach approximately AUD$12 billion by 2030,” said Merline McGregor, Managing Director at Pattern Australia. “This highlights the scale of the opportunity and the urgency for brands to adapt or lose relevance and market share.”

Influencers drive influence, but not evenly across generations

The role of social media influencers continues to grow in Australia, but their impact is highly concentrated among younger audiences. Overall, 38% of consumers say they are more likely to purchase a product if it’s recommended by an influencer they follow. Among 18–24-year-olds, this rises to 62% and 61% for those aged 25–34. However, influence declines significantly with age, dropping to 20% among 55 to 64-year-olds and just 8% for those 65 and over.

“This is not just a shift in media consumption, but a shift in how trust is built. For younger consumers, influencers and social platforms are increasingly shaping what gets noticed, what is trusted and what gets bought. Brands need to adapt to this new reality. That means moving beyond one-off influencer campaigns and thinking much more seriously about how to build always-on, creator-led content strategies that drive a return,” said McGregor.

Trust gap remains a barrier to full conversion

Despite its growing influence, a trust gap in social commerce remains a key barrier to full conversion for many shoppers. A significant number of Australians choose to save products discovered on social media for further research (26%), while others seek recommendations from friends or family (25%) before making a purchase.

This caution is further reinforced by the fact that 42% of consumers still prefer to complete transactions through familiar retailer channels, where established customer service and returns processes are present.

“Social media is now the engine of demand, but trust still dictates where transactions are completed. Consumers are often taking additional steps to validate what they see, whether that’s researching further, seeking recommendations, or ultimately choosing to transact through more familiar retail environments. That tells us social media is driving intent, but trust is still determining where conversion happens,” observed McGregor. “Brands need to bridge that gap by delivering consistent, credible experiences across every channel the consumer moves through.”

The shopping journey starts on social media and converts across channels

Although social media is increasingly the starting point for product discovery, purchase behaviour remains distributed across a range of channels. When a product captures attention, more than a third of consumers are most likely to complete their purchase on a brand or retailer’s website. Amazon follows closely at 28%, while 19% prefer to buy in-store.

The findings point to a fragmented path to purchase, where social platforms generate demand, but conversion is shared across retail channels.

“Brands should stop thinking about social media as separate from commerce,” said McGregor. “Consumers are moving fluidly from social content to marketplaces to retailer websites to stores. Brands that convert shoppers are the ones that can create demand on social media and carry it through to wherever the customer chooses to buy.”

Brands must create connections where their customers are

With social media embedded in everyday shopping behaviour, brands that continue to rely on outdated discovery models are finding it harder to connect with shoppers.

“The way consumers discover products has changed, and many brands are still playing catch-up. With 96% of Australians on social media, these platforms are where demand is created and won. Pattern was recently named TikTok Shop Strategic Partner of the Year for 2025, reflecting the growing importance of social-led commerce. We help brands turn discovery into purchase and build social experiences that convert,” concluded McGregor.

For more information, please download Pattern’s ‘2026 Marketplace Consumer Report‘

About Pattern Inc

Pattern accelerates brands on global ecommerce marketplaces leveraging proprietary technology and AI. Utilising more than 77 trillion data points, sophisticated machine learning and AI models, Pattern optimises and automates all levers of ecommerce growth for global brands, including advertising, content management, logistics and fulfillment, pricing, forecasting and customer service. Hundreds of global brands depend on Pattern’s ecommerce acceleration platform every day to drive profitable revenue growth across 60+ global marketplaces—including Amazon, TikTok Shop, Walmart.com, Target.com, eBay, Tmall, JD, and Mercado Libre.  For more information, visit https://au.pattern.com/

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SOURCE Pattern

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Ready Server Pilots Full-Immersion Cooling to Prepare Singapore Facility for AI-Ready Compute Services

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July 30, 2026

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VPS provider deploys self-built liquid cooling solution to increase rack density and energy efficiency amid surging compute demand

SINGAPORE, July 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Ready Server, a Singapore-based VPS Hosting and server solutions provider, has completed its first pilot of full-immersion liquid cooling at its data centre facility in Singapore, marking a key step in its roadmap toward delivering AI-ready infrastructure services.

The pilot involves immersing complete server hardware — production-grade AMD-based servers with memory and storage components — into a tank of non-conductive immersion cooling fluid, using immersion cooling hardware from US-based liquid cooling specialist GRC. The immersion cooling fluid transfers heat away from server components far more efficiently than air, enabling higher rack densities and potentially reducing cooling energy consumption.

Meeting the demands of the AI era

Global demand for high-performance compute, accelerated by AI workloads, is pushing data centre operators worldwide to rethink how densely and efficiently servers can be deployed. As computing systems become more powerful and valuable, operators are seeking more efficient cooling technologies to maximise performance while making better use of existing space and power resources.

Rather than purchasing fully packaged immersion-cooled systems, Ready Server opted for a self-deployed solution — designing a customised setup tailored to its existing facility. This approach reduces capital costs while building in-house engineering capability in liquid-cooled operations.

“Everything comes with a risk, so we have to take some that will enable us to compete and deliver the performance needed in the future,” said Alan Woo, Director of Ready Server, who personally oversaw the import and installation of both the cooling tank and immersion cooling fluid.

A pragmatic, phased approach

Ready Server’s pilot methodology reflects careful risk management. Servers selected for immersion are units that have already operated in racks for approximately two years — nearing the end of their manufacturer warranty — since immersion and hardware modifications can affect warranty coverage. Components are prepared prior to immersion: cooling fans are removed, thermal paste is replaced with a thin metal foil suited to liquid-cooled operation, and certain paper labels or adhesive stickers are removed, as prolonged exposure to the fluid can cause them to deteriorate.

Compared with alternative liquid cooling methods the company has previously trialled, including spray-based coolant jets, the full-immersion approach offers simpler maintenance and continuous 24/7 operation, and reduces the risk of coolant leaks associated with direct-to-chip liquid cooling.

Building toward AI-ready services

The pilot delivers benefits beyond electricity savings: it equips Ready Server with the operational experience needed to design future rack architectures for compute-intensive workloads.

“This journey into liquid cooling has taught us valuable lessons in designing our future racks and how we can deliver more compute-heavy services to customers,” said Woo. “By investing in the technology and also the capabilities to run it, we are more ready to offer new services that the market is asking for.”

Ready Server plans to apply learnings from the pilot as it expands its portfolio of high-density hosting and AI-ready data centre services in Singapore.

About Ready Server

Ready Server is a leading Singapore-based VPS hosting provider in the Asia-Pacific region. Delivering high-performance, enterprise-grade infrastructure, and a robust network of data centers spanning Singapore, Hong Kong, and Tokyo, the company offers elite, low-latency connectivity and unmetered bandwidth designed for demanding digital workloads. With flexible per-hour billing, empowering developers and enterprises to scale instantly across major Asian hubs with superior reliability, connectivity and ease. https://www.readyserver.sg/

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SOURCE Ready Server

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Mitrade Enters Bloomberg.com Partnership as Asian Traders Face Blurring Line Between Credible Insight & Online Influence

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July 30, 2026

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BANGKOK, July 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Award-winning global CFD broker Mitrade today announced a partnership with Bloomberg.com amid a financial information landscape in which institutional reporting, social commentary and competing finfluencer narratives vie for traders’ attention.

Across Asia, online influence can gain momentum faster than information can be verified. Greenwich Associates found that investors in the region were consistently heavier users of all forms of social sources than their counterparts in North America and Europe – a behavior heightening the importance of distinguishing reach from reliability.

That distinction underpins the partnership. As financial markets become increasingly influenced by information from multiple sources, Mitrade recognises the importance of credible business and financial reporting in helping market participants place developments in context.

“We see across Asia that distinguishing credible reporting from online influence has become fundamental to financial literacy,” said Kevin Lai, vice president of Mitrade Group. “At Mitrade, we believe no financial development exists in isolation. Understanding the wider context helps connect the dots between events and their broader market implications. We are beginning the partnership in Australia through an initial Bloomberg.com subscription initiative, and our global presence gives us scope to explore its broader potential over time.”

The announcement marks another step in Mitrade’s development as a fintech brand. The broker has received 65 industry awards, including recent honours for regulatory standards, trader education and CFD brokerage—recognition that reinforces the standards underpinning its growth. 

About Mitrade Group

Mitrade is a globally recognised, award-winning CFD trading platform licensed under the Cayman Islands’ CIMA (SIB1612446), Mauritius’s FSC (GB20025791), Australia’s ASIC (AFSL398528), South Africa’s FSCA (FSP 54842), UAE’s CMA (20200000397), and Cyprus’s CySEC (CIF438/23).

The group democratises market access, connecting 7M+ traders to 1,000+ OTC derivatives, including indices, forex, commodities, ETFs, and shares.

The platform offers millisecond execution, tight spreads, advanced risk mitigation, and multi-device compatibility, ensuring an intuitive trading experience tailored to every trader.

Trading involves risks. This article is for informational purposes only and not financial advice, an offer, or a solicitation.

Visit https://www.mitrade.com for more information.

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SOURCE Mitrade Group

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Medidata Launches Medidata Plus, an AI-Native Foundation Built to Scale Clinical Portfolios

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July 30, 2026

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Built on an award-winning AI foundation, Medidata Plus removes traditional barriers, empowering sponsors and CROs to scale intelligence across entire portfolios

SINGAPORE, July 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Medidata, a Dassault Systèmes brand and leading provider of clinical trial solutions, today announced the launch of Medidata Plus. This clinical artificial intelligence layer unlocks the full breadth of AI capabilities across the Medidata Platform, giving sponsors access to scalable, outcome-driven AI throughout their global portfolios. Medidata Plus shifts the life sciences industry away from a legacy of disjointed, inefficient point solutions to a unified, end-to-end AI strategy, accelerating the delivery of life-saving therapies to patients.

While 92% of industry decision-makers plan to increase AI investment, only 29% say AI currently meets or exceeds their expectations. Medidata Plus addresses these systemic roadblocks directly, turning unpredictable AI costs into a streamlined, predictable investment by standardizing the data layer across the entire clinical trial lifecycle.

“Stitching together point solutions isn’t a strategy — it’s a liability. Drug development’s next leap will come when AI is consistent, connected, and portfolio-wide,” said Dr. Nimita Limaye, Research VP, Life Sciences R&D Strategy and Technology, IDC. “Medidata Plus delivers this with a cohesive AI layer across the entire lifecycle, shifting organizations from sporadic AI adoption to a continuous, portfolio-wide strategy that drives real clinical outcomes.” 

Medidata Plus brings AI-driven intelligence to every stage of a clinical trial, from study build to data management to ongoing risk monitoring. Rather than relying on a patchwork of disconnected tools, study teams can access a single, unified layer of AI capabilities built to accelerate execution and surface insights in real time. Key capabilities made accessible through Medidata Plus include:

Study Builds Accelerated with AI: Reduces study build timelines from weeks to mere hours by automating EDC and eCOA design, and generating synthetic patient data for user acceptance testing, dramatically accelerating study startup times.No-Code Data Transformation: Through enhanced AI interoperability, Medidata Plus seamlessly ingests, standardizes, and transforms data from clinical and real-world sources to extract insights without writing a single line of code.Proactive De-risking: Embedded analytics instantly flag critical enrollment downtrends or safety signals, reducing mid-cycle pauses and accelerating inspections.Companioning Audit Exploration: Agentic AI supports study teams to mine their end-to-end audit history using natural-language queries, transforming complex regulatory data into actionable insights in minutes.

“We’ve listened to our customers and they’re clear that AI can transform clinical trials, but not as an army of agents from disparate sources trained in disparate ways,” said Anthony Costello, CEO, Medidata. “Medidata Plus is a drop-in AI strategy for clinical research that upskills teams, automates workflows, and surfaces insights at a pace that’s redefining what teams thought was possible. We are in conversations with dozens of customers about making this shift and what we’re hearing tells us the industry has been waiting for exactly this.”

Life sciences organizations, ranging from enterprise biopharma leaders to global CROs, are poised to unlock significant value through Medidata Plus, which provides them with a decisive technological edge to execute clinical trials with greater precision, higher quality, and accelerated timelines. 

The launch of Medidata Plus establishes a future-ready framework for platform advancement. As Medidata continues to embed clinically-fluent AI across its ecosystem, study teams from sponsors and CROs will gain access to an expanding suite of capabilities that deliver value across their trial portfolios.

Backed by an AI infrastructure recently recognized with the highest “Luminary” rating in Everest Group’s AI Innovation Watch Report, Medidata’s AI continues to set the standard in clinical trials, having supported 80% of FDA novel drug approvals in 2025. To learn more about how Medidata Plus delivers an easy, fast, and AI-powered clinical research experience, visit here. 

About Medidata 

Medidata has been powering smarter treatments and healthier people by supporting clinical trials through groundbreaking technological innovations for over 25 years. Medidata is a leader in AI-powered solutions across the entire trial lifecycle to accelerate clinical breakthroughs, reduce patient and site burden, and bring new therapies to market faster. Supported by one of the largest clinical datasets in the industry of more than 38,000 trials and 12 million patients, Medidata’s Study, Patient, and Data Experiences are trusted by more than 1 million registered users across approximately 2,300 customers. A Dassault Systèmes brand (Euronext Paris: FR0014003TT8, DSY.PA), Medidata is headquartered in New York City and is recognized as a leader by Everest Group and IDC. Discover more at www.medidata.com. Listen to our latest podcast, from Dreamers to Disruptors, and follow us at @medidata-solutions on LinkedIn. 

About Dassault Systèmes

Dassault Systèmes is a catalyst for human progress. Since 1981, the company has pioneered virtual worlds to improve real life for consumers, patients and citizens. Through the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, AI-powered, science-based virtual twins help 390,000 customers of all sizes, in all industries, collaborate, imagine and create sustainable innovations that drive meaningful impact. For more information, visit: www.3ds.com

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For interviews and questions, please contact Medidata PR 

Medidata.PR@3ds.com  

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Medidata.AR@3ds.com  

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