Tag: Gen Z

eBay to Acquire Depop from Etsy

eBay Inc. a global commerce leader that connects millions of buyers and sellers around the world, and Etsy, Inc. the global marketplace for unique and creative goods, today jointly announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which eBay will acquire Depop, a leading C2C fashion marketplace with deep recommerce roots and a highly-engaged Gen Z and Millennial customer base, for approximately $1.2 billion in cash, subject to certain purchase price adjustments.

Depop is a mobile-first, community-powered fashion marketplace experiencing strong momentum with annual gross merchandise sales (GMS) of approximately $1 billion in 2025, including nearly 60% year-over-year growth in the U.S. As of December 31, 2025 the marketplace had 7 million active buyers, nearly 90% of which are under the age of 34, and more than 3 million active sellers — Depop has built a platform where anyone can buy, sell, explore and discover incredible secondhand fashion.

“Depop has built a trusted, social-forward marketplace with strong momentum in the pre-loved fashion category, and we are confident that as part of eBay, Depop will be even more well-positioned for long-term growth, benefiting from our scale, complementary offerings, and operational capabilities,” said Jamie Ianonne, Chief Executive Officer of eBay. “A key C2C driver, fashion represents more than $10 billion in annual gross merchandise volume (GMV) for eBay and delivered 10% year-over-year GMV growth in the U.S. in 2025. This acquisition presents an opportunity to advance one of our newest and fastest-growing Focus Categories with a marketplace that complements our existing presence, and enables us to reach a younger demographic across the expanding recommerce landscape. We’re excited to welcome the Depop team to eBay, and look forward to building on what makes them unique – their brand, culture and community – to deliver compelling benefits to buyers and sellers.”

“We are excited that this transaction allows us to focus exclusively on the compelling opportunity we see in front of us: to grow the Etsy marketplace in ways that matter most to our buyers and sellers,” said Kruti Patel Goyal, Chief Executive Officer of Etsy. “We believe this transaction is a great outcome for Etsy’s shareholders, and a positive next step for all involved. We are proud of what the Depop team has built – a truly differentiated brand and product, grounded in clear purpose and strong community – becoming one of the fastest-growing fashion resale marketplaces in the U.S. I am confident that Depop is well-positioned for its next phase of growth as part of eBay.”

The addition of Depop will accelerate eBay’s C2C strategy by deepening its reach with younger, fashion-forward consumers and expanding its presence in one of the most dynamic areas of resale. As part of eBay, Depop will benefit from eBay’s global scale and suite of capabilities, including its financial services, shipping solutions, and trusted experiences like Authenticity Guarantee to further accelerate growth and enhance the buyer and seller experience. eBay will also expand the visibility of Depop’s inventory, including through cross-listing opportunities, which will amplify global demand and unlock additional market opportunity.

Peter Semple, Chief Executive officer of Depop, added, “We’re thrilled to begin this next chapter with eBay, whose experience in the C2C fashion space and shared belief in people, opportunity, and a more sustainable future positions us to meaningfully accelerate our marketplace in the U.S. and beyond. This transaction is a testament to the significant growth we have delivered as we have evolved our product experience and strengthened our brand’s place in the world. We’re very grateful to Kruti and the Etsy team for their partnership in advancing Depop’s business and mission to make fashion circular.”

Transaction Details and Closing

eBay intends to fund the transaction with cash on hand. Etsy plans to utilize the proceeds for general corporate purposes, continued share repurchases and investment in its core marketplace.

The transaction, which has been unanimously approved by eBay’s and Etsy’s Board of Directors, is currently expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, subject to the satisfaction of certain closing conditions and receipt of required regulatory approvals.

Following the closing of the transaction, Depop is expected to retain its name, brand, platform, and complementary culture.

Earnings Results and Investor Calls

In a separate press release issued today, eBay reported its fourth quarter and full year 2025 financial results and provided its outlook for first quarter 2026. eBay will host a conference call to discuss its results and the acquisition of Depop at 2:00 PM PT / 5:00 PM ET today.

Tomorrow, Etsy will report its fourth quarter and full year 2025 financial results and provide its outlook for first quarter 2026. Etsy will host a conference call to discuss its results and provide additional commentary on its sale of Depop at 5:30 AM PT / 8:30 AM ET tomorrow.

A live webcast of each company’s investor conference calls can be accessed through eBay’s and Etsy’s investor relations websites, respectively.

Almost one in four people in Ireland have set screen limits on their devices

Smartphone use remains deeply woven into the daily lives of people of all ages in Ireland, but levels of digital fatigue are increasing, Deloitte’s latest Digital Consumer Trends survey reveals.

In the last year, almost one-quarter of respondents (24%) have set screen time limits on their phones.

Needing a break was the top reason respondents gave for deleting a social media app (27%), and one-quarter did it because they stopped using the app.

23% said the app they deleted was consuming too much of their time and the same amount said they were getting too many ads or sponsored posts.

Misinformation (22%), a negative impact on mental health (18%), and content being boring (16%) were the other top reasons for deleting an app.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents (65%) switched off all notifications from one or more apps in the past year, 21% stopped using a digital wearable, 19% stopped using a digital device, and 17% stopped reading e-books on digital devices.

Nearly half of Gen Zs joined a social media app (46%) but nearly one-in-three (32%) said they had deleted an existing app from their device. The joining and deleting of social media apps is lower amongst other generations.

  Joined a social media app Deleted a social media app
Millennials 27% 29%
Gen X 16% 26%
Boomers 12% 18%

 

70% of respondents said they tend to spend too much time on their phone. This breaks down to 77% of Gen Zs, 78% of Millennials, 73% of Gen X and 48% of Boomers.

82% of those surveyed said they check their smartphone at least 10 times a day and 59% said at least 25 times. Over a third (34%) said they check their phone at least 50 times a day and 15% said they do so at least 100 times.

60% of phone owners look at their phone within 15 minutes or less after waking up, which is down from 65% in 2024. More than half (54%) stay awake later than planned due to using their mobile phone.

Majority of adults say children are ready for smartphones by 12-15, but also favour social media usage limits for those under 18

82% of people in Ireland said they would support social media platforms introducing usage limitations for those under 18.

More than half (57%) would ‘strongly favour’ social media platforms requiring age verification when registering and (56%) would ‘strongly favour’ introducing usage limitations for people under the age of 18.

Despite this, most adults (58%) feel the appropriate age for a first smartphone is between 12 to 15 years old.

Nearly one-in-three (32%) believe children should get their first smartphone at 12-13 years of age and more than a quarter (26%) believe they should be 14-15. Only 4% believe the devices should not be given to under 18s and 22% believe they should be given to those aged 16 or older.

Nearly half (43%) of respondents think a teenager should be 16 or older to have access to social media.

Close to one-quarter (24%) think those with social media access should be 14-15, while 16% said 12-13 years of age. Just 4% said 10-11 years and only 8% believe social media should not be available to those aged under 18.

Gen Zs prefer to get their news from social media, but more people are reporting an increase in misinformation

The survey shows misinformation continues to rise as 59% now say they more regularly see fake information online – up from 53% in 2024 and 46% in 2023

Despite such concerns, nearly half of Gen Zs (47%) say they prefer to get their news from social media and only 34% of this generation say the same for TV. This compares to 44% of Millennials, 65% of Gen X and 75% of Boomers saying their preferred source for news is TV.

54% of Boomers and 47% of Gen X prefer to stay updated on news and current events using radio, in contrast to 29% of Millennials and 19% of Gen Z.

Just 2% of Boomers prefer podcasts, while this figure is 14% across the three other generations surveyed.

Commenting on the Digital Consumer Trends findings, John Kehoe, a Deloitte Ireland partner who has worked on the Digital Consumer Trends report for seven years, said: “With 60% of us looking at our phones within minutes of waking up, it’s clear that our smartphones continue to play a crucial role in our modern-day lives. But the number of respondents who say they either need a break from social media, are turning their notifications off, or setting screen time limits, shows that how we engage with our devices is changing. The fascinating findings of Deloitte’s Digital Consumer Trends Survey poses the question – are we entering the age of the digital detox?”

Allianz x Spotify: This Christmas, Your Playlist Could Be Your Best Safety Feature

This Christmas, the soundtrack in your car could be shaping your driving more than you think. As millions take to the roads, Allianz is warning that fast-tempo music can subtly increase speed, stress and reaction times and is encouraging motorists to slow both the car and the beat.

To support safer journeys this year, Allianz is urging drivers to plan ahead, take their time and never drink and drive. As part of this, Allianz Ireland has partnered with Spotify on a new data-driven initiative that helps drivers manage their mindset behind the wheel, simply by adjusting the tempo of the music they listen to.

Building on this partnership, Allianz and Spotify have launched Seat Belters, an in-app experience that creates a personalised, lower-tempo playlist based on each user’s listening history. Using Spotify’s streaming intelligence, it identifies tracks in the 60–80 beat-per-minute (BPM) range to help promote a calmer mindset on the road – whether it’s the school run, inching through town for a bit of shopping, or the long drive home across the country for Christmas.

Studies show that music can have a direct influence on how we drive. Songs with a fast tempo (over 120 BPM) can subconsciously encourage drivers to speed up and change lanes much more often. In contrast, music that matches the average resting heart rate (around 60-80 BPM) is associated with calmer, more focused driving[1].

Behavioural Psychologist Dr. Becky Spelman offered insight into the science behind Seat Belters, and how the initiative can have real-world influence on driving behaviour: “As a psychologist, I’m always interested in the small, everyday inputs that shape how we feel and behave. Music is one of those influences that most of us overlook – we usually think of it as something enjoyable to have in the background, but the tempo and rhythm of what we listen to have a very real effect on the body.

“When we’re driving, these changes matter. A slight increase in heart rate or a feeling of urgency can lead to quicker reactions, more lane changes or a tendency to drive a little faster. These shifts are not usually conscious decisions; they are simply the body responding to stimulation. The research is very consistent in showing that high-tempo music makes us more reactive and more prone to quick decisions, which is not ideal when we are on the road and need calm, steady focus.”

A nationally representative survey commissioned by Allianz earlier this year found that over half of Irish adults believe music influences their driving style, with belief particularly strong among Gen Z, who are the demographic most likely to stream music while driving. Higher heart-rate variability, increased mental workload and erratic driving patterns have all been observed in response to faster music, making mindful playlist curation especially beneficial this Christmas.

Dr. Spelman explains; “This is why the Allianz Seat Belters initiative is so useful. It takes something that people already do every day – listening to music in the car – and turns it into a practical safety support. By selecting music in the range of sixty to eighty beats per minute based on your listening history, the playlist encourages the body to settle. This slower rhythm is much closer to the natural pace of a calm and regulated nervous system. When we’re in that state, our thinking becomes clearer, our decision making becomes steadier and we’re less likely to behave impulsively, making the roads a safer place for everyone this Christmas.

Allianz has also launched Dashboard Drumming, a social video activation pairing legendary drummer Stewart Copeland (The Police) with science content creator Big Manny. In a parked car, they use nothing but a dashboard and a drumbeat to demonstrate how changing tempo affects mindset, mood, and ultimately driving behaviour – making BPM instantly relatable and sharable. It’s a fun but powerful way to show how we respond to rhythm behind the wheel. Start Your Better Driving Soundtrack – to create your personalised Playlist, visit: https://www.allianz.ie/spotify or use the QR code below

Start Your Better Driving Soundtrack.

To create your personalised  Playlist, visit: https://open.spotify.com/site/allianz or use the QR code below

Vodafone Ireland’s digital assistant TOBi Learning the Lingo

TOBi, Vodafone Ireland’s award-winning AI-powered self-service assistant, might still be getting to grips with Irish phrases like “acting the maggot” or “sucking diesel” but it is already doing the hard work behind the scenes, helping customers 24/7 with top-ups, billing queries and much more. TOBi now resolves 60% of customer service queries without the need to talk to someone, a milestone in AI-led customer care.
New research conducted amongst 1,000 people on behalf of Vodafone Ireland by Coyne Research shows that AI has officially been adopted by consumers and has become an everyday tool. Almost half of all Irish adults (48%) now use AI weekly, with usage rising to 66% among Gen Z, nearly a quarter of whom use it every day. One in three people are already using AI for customer service, while one in five rely on it to help write something, whether it’s an email, college assignment or social post.
Two in five consumers (40%) now claim to have a good understanding of AI technology, evidence that awareness of AI is growing rapidly. Confidence is even stronger among men, with nearly half of males (48%) believing they have a good or very good grasp of what AI can do. This rising confidence is reflected in overall experience as 40% of consumers say their interactions with AI have been positive, signalling a major shift in how the technology has moved from a niche innovation to a routine part of how people in Ireland work, communicate, and solve problems.
Vodafone Ireland is also addressing uniquely Irish challenges through TOBi’s ongoing development, as it constantly learns to understand Irish accents and Irishisms. With three in five survey respondents acknowledging their own difficulties in understanding certain Irish accents (particularly Kerry, Cork, and Donegal), TOBi is being specially trained to recognise regional dialects and local expressions, from “banjaxed” to “acting the maggot.”
Interestingly, one in three people believe AI can understand Irishisms, such as “grand” or “c’mere to me” – though “banjaxed” (60%), “sucking diesel” (59%) and “acting the maggot” (52%) were named the most confusing for both AI and people alike to understand.
Gen Z and Dubliners are the most confident that AI like TOBi is catching on to these Irishisms.
The development of TOBi is part of Vodafone Ireland’s broader €10million investment in enhancing its customer care experience, resolving common customer queries and expanding care channels to ensure faster, more flexible help for customers. As a result, Vodafone Ireland now offers the longest customer care hours and the largest retail footprint in the market, as well as the only 24/7 AI resolution option available from any Irish telecoms provider.
“TOBi isn’t just a chatbot,” said Ciaran Barrett, Commercial Operations Director at Vodafone Ireland. “TOBi helps our customers everyday by giving them fast, intuitive support any time of the day or night- whether they want to check a bill, query a charge or top up their account. TOBi learns from every interaction, adapting to how Irish people speak and what they need. This is AI made useful, not just clever.”
“Our research shows that Irish people are becoming more comfortable with AI – and we’re meeting that shift with technology that actually delivers. TOBi is getting smarter, faster and more helpful all the time. While TOBi is still learning to understand every accent and irishism, it absolutely gets what our customers need and is fully supported by our team of care specialists as well as the largest retail footprint in the country – giving our customers real choice in how they connect with us.”
Unlike many digital assistants that simply provide information, TOBi is fully integrated with Vodafone Ireland’s core operating systems, enabling secure, real time account changes and issues resolution, distinguishing Vodafone Ireland’s care offerings from its competitors.
As TOBi grows in popularity as a support option, Vodafone Ireland’s customer care performance has surged. The company now solves 80% of customer queries on the first try and has seen calls drop by half over the past three years, as customers have fewer reasons to contact Vodafone.
Offering customers greater choice remains central to Vodafone Ireland’s approach to customer care. While TOBi handles the bulk of straightforward queries, customers with complex or sensitive queries can still rely on speaking to a care specialist. According to this research, 90% of people still prefer talking to a human for more complex queries, but younger users increasingly embrace digital options for speed and convenience.
At Vodafone Ireland, every connection counts. TOBi is helping Vodafone Ireland to lead customer service innovation, demonstrating how AI can enhance rather than replace meaningful customer connections.
Vodafone Ireland currently serves over 2.4 million customers nationwide and was recently named Ireland’s ‘Best Mobile Operator’ for the tenth consecutive year by independent benchmarking organisation umlaut. This achievement has been driven by Vodafone Ireland’s €500 million investment over five years (2024–2029) in enhancing mobile and fixed network quality, coverage, and capacity for customers across Ireland.

Gen Z is three times more likely to fall victim to online scams than silver surfers

Despite being assumed as the most digitally native generation, Gen Z is  being scammed three times more than silver surfers, debunking the assumption that older generations are less tech-savvy.

Gen Z is regarded as the first true digital natives and are reported to spend more time online than any other generation. However, a recent study by cybersecurity provider F-Secure found that 16-24 year olds are three times more likely to fall victim to online scams (37%), compared to those aged 55 and above (12%). Challenging the assumption that they are the most tech-savvy demographic.

Despite their vulnerability, only 11% of Gen Z respondents expressed concerns about online shopping safety, a stark contrast to 31% of the over 55s. The research indicates a potential lack of awareness among Gen Z regarding the risks associated with online transactions.

In an attempt to protect themselves, and uphold the notion they are scam proof, 71% of Gen Z respondents admit they either completely, or sometimes, avoid independent online retailers, perceiving them as higher risk than well-known brands, where they shop for a greater sense of safety and security. However, the study reveals a misconception, as scams occur across all shopping platforms, with occurrences at 27% for small independents, 23% for large online platforms, and 21% for large retailers.

The most common items Gen Z fell victim to in online scams last year are:

  1. Fashion items
  2. Tech
  3. Beauty products
  4. Furniture and home decor
  5. Travel
  6. Sports gear
  7. Gifts
  8. Food
  9. Vehicles
  10. Concert tickets

Tom Gaffney, cybersecurity expert at F-Secure, says: “Gen Z may be the most tech-savvy of all when it comes to using online tools but it appears that it may be a false assumption to assume they have the same awareness of threats. While they can make a TikTok video and jump on the latest viral trend, our research shows they are less able to identify when they are being exploited by cyber criminals.

“There is a clear lack of awareness among this demographic when it comes to online safety, which could be driven by over-sharing and misplaced trust online.”

F-Secure, a leading cybersecurity provider, offers the following tips to stay safe when shopping online:

  1. Don’t click on declined payment links in emails, even if they look like they’re from a trusted retailer like Amazon. Instead, log in to the retailer’s official website to check the payment status.
  2. Be wary of free offers for digital assets, especially in online video games. Cybercriminals often use these to trick users into giving away their login details.
  3. Be cautious when purchasing from new or unknown online stores. Look for warning signs like a lack of company information or a recently created domain.
  4. Don’t fall for social media scams advertising too-good-to-be-true deals. Check comments and user profiles carefully before making a purchase.