蘑菇AV

The only certain thing about TikTok鈥檚 sale is more uncertainty: Washington keeps kicking the can on a US sale, leaving TikTok to convince advertisers not to panic.

The news: A Sprout Social report found that 41% of Gen Z turns to social platforms first for finding information, ahead of search engines (32%), AI chatbots (11%), and friends and family (9%). In an exclusive conversation with 蘑菇AV, Thomas Markland, founder of creator company HYDP, discussed the shift and the need for brands to adopt a social-first strategy. Our take: As social media users, especially younger generations, increasingly turn to social for product discovery, brands that are willing to adapt and are strategic with their creator partnerships stand to gain most.

The news: China is outpacing the US in retail media鈥檚 global rise, with nearly half of its digital ad spending now flowing through retail platforms. While Amazon still leads globally, its growth is slowing鈥攅xpected to rise just 18.6% in 2025. Meanwhile, players like Uber Eats, Meijer, and Albertsons are growing ad revenues at triple-digit rates. Our take: Retail media is becoming more fragmented and competitive. Success now requires portfolio diversification, especially as new channels鈥攍ike last-mile delivery and in-store signage鈥攇ain momentum. What began as an Amazon-centric, US-led trend is now a worldwide shift reshaping how consumers discover, consider, and buy.

The situation: Nike鈥檚 turnaround will likely take some time. In FYQ4, the company鈥檚 sales fell 12% YoY (11% on a constant-currency basis), reflecting what CFO Matthew Friend called the 鈥渓argest financial impact鈥� from the company鈥檚 reset strategy. Still, he expressed confidence that 鈥渉eadwinds will moderate from here,鈥� emphasizing Nike鈥檚 focus on execution and controlling what it can. Our take: Turning around a company the size of Nike is like trying to turn around an ocean liner in rough waters. Change takes time, especially amid headwinds like tariffs and shaky demand, and execution missteps keep dragging on performance. Nike is adjusting course鈥攍eaning back into wholesale, cleaning up its inventory, and getting more surgical with product drops鈥攂ut calm seas are still a ways off.

China is a global leader in online shopping, with high digital buyer and retail ecommerce penetration. Shoppers are comfortable buying luxury goods online and embracing livestreaming commerce.

The news: China retail sales jumped 6.4% YoY in May, per official data. That outpaced expectations for a 5% increase and marked an acceleration from April鈥檚 5.1% growth. What it means: While the stronger-than-expected retail sales are a promising sign for the country鈥檚 beleaguered economy, conditions on the ground remain highly challenging.

The news: Ad quality has a big impact on whether gamers will stay in the game or walk away from a session. Over half (52%) of gamers in the US, the UK, Germany, and Japan would quit playing if they encountered multiple disruptive ad features, per Deloitte鈥檚 Quality Drives Value: A Look into Mobile Gaming Ads survey. Our take: Prioritizing features like rewards and skip options can help players feel in control and properly compensated for their time, helping mobile gamers to stay engaged, click through, and return. Poorly timed or deceptive ads, on the other hand, risk alienating gamers and increasing churn.

The news: China鈥檚 coffee giants are making their way to the US in the hopes of unlocking a lucrative market to offset pressures back home. Our take: Luckin鈥檚 and Cotti鈥檚 US launches are a problem for Starbucks, which is already struggling to compete with the companies in China and having a hard time winning over customers at home. Unfortunately for Starbucks, many of the moves it鈥檚 making鈥攕treamlining its menu, enhancing the in-store experience, leaning into premiumization鈥攔un counter to consumers鈥� current desire for variety, convenience, and value. That has created an opening for chains like Dutch Bros (and now Luckin and Cotti), which are better positioned to capitalize on emerging trends in the coffee space and can undercut Starbucks on price.

The US-China trade war drives Shein to diversify its sourcing: Shein and Reliance Retail plan to start international sales of India-made Shein-branded clothes within six to 12 months.

The news: Starbucks is lowering prices in China for some drinks as the country鈥檚 relentless price wars force the struggling coffee chain to shift gears. Our take: Starbucks鈥� pricing actions are necessary to keep it competitive in a challenging market. But it is increasingly struggling to keep up with the likes of Luckin Coffee and Cotti, which are not only considerably cheaper but also better able to meet Chinese consumers鈥� rapidly shifting tastes. With conditions in the world鈥檚 second-largest economy unlikely to improve this year, Starbucks will have to find a way to become nimbler鈥攁nd more affordable鈥攖o keep within striking distance of its rivals.

The news: On Thursday, Nintendo released the Switch 2, 鈥嬧�媔ts first new console since the Nintendo Switch was launched in 2017. The handheld device comes with upgraded specs, social gaming features, and bundles with exclusive titles like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza. It also includes GameChat, a feature that combines voice and video and lets up to 12 people chat while playing games. Our take: With a growing package of subscription perks and social hooks like GameChat, Nintendo may be taking a page from Apple鈥檚 playbook by turning its hardware into a recurring revenue engine. The Switch 2 could be a sticky ecosystem for Nintendo, even if the price goes up.

Social users around the world engage with and make purchase decisions from creator content in similar ways. Localizing creator strategies is key, but marketers can apply the same best practices across many geographies.

The news: Shein鈥檚 and Temu鈥檚 influence in the US is fading quickly as both companies cut ad spending and look to Europe for growth. Our take: Shein and Temu are finding that the billions of dollars they plowed into US advertising have not been enough to secure US customers鈥� loyalty in the face of higher prices. But rather than find ways to extend the longevity of their US businesses, both companies are fleeing to Europe to take advantage of the (currently) more favorable trade environment.

Gen Z defines social winners in Asia-Pacific: Snapchat slows in India while TikTok expands in Indonesia and Singapore.

Short-form 鈥渕icrodrama鈥� content is surging in China. As the format gains popularity, streaming platforms are exploring new ways to monetize and export the phenomenon to overseas markets.

Chinese consumers鈥� travel spending softened during a recent holiday: That鈥檚 a clear sign that confidence is strained due to trade tensions with the US.

A possible partnership would bring AI-native search to millions, challenge Google鈥檚 dominance, and push Samsung ahead in the on-device AI race.

The R1-0528 model nearly matches OpenAI and Google on reasoning, offering a tantalizing preview of what the cheaper, open-source future of AI could look like.

The outlook for retail media ad spending remains bright throughout most of the world, even as ad budgets are increasingly constrained in the face of economic storm clouds.

Nvidia woos global AI partners, HP shifts output to Mexico and Vietnam, and Lenovo pivots to India鈥攃lear signs that risk mitigation now outweighs China鈥檚 diminishing cost advantage.