Push for a pizza, swipe for a cleaner and tap for a taxi. The rise of apps like Uber is facilitating the culture of ‘I want it, and I want it now’. For digital-savvy city-dwellers from London to Beijing, everything you need – from your dinner to a ride home – is just an app away.

New shopping malls and a young population with sophisticated shopping tastes are helping make Brazil one of the world's most profitable luxury markets. But the recent economic downturn means optimism is ebbing. Does a gloomy economic outlook spell the end of Brazil’s luxury bonanza?

Brazil’s growing middle class has been on a decade-long spending spree with borrowed money. Between 2004 and 2014, consumer-held credit rose by 658%. But with interest rates on credit cards spiralling, shoppers are turning to a traditional source of extra cash – pawn shops.

The social payments company iZettle has launched in Brazil as part of its global partnership with Banco Santander. Small businesses will be able to order a chip-and-signature card reader and accept card payments with Apple and Android smartphones.