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The cost-of-living crisis is forcing UK consumers to change where they shop to save money. To attract and keep customers, retailers and brands across all sectors need to invest in loyalty programs鈥攁nd understand what shoppers want from them.

Martha Welsh, Pinterest's chief strategy officer, sees this as a way to bring more 鈥渟hoppable content鈥� to the platform. How sellers can take part: The new extension of Sponsored Products to third-party platforms will be automatic; advertisers do not need to take any action. Ads will be displayed based on page context, campaign details, and cost-per-click parameters already set by the advertisers.

The UK ad market is under as much pressure as it鈥檚 ever faced. But while spending growth will hit a historical low, there are some positive signs for advertisers with experimentation away from the duopoly a very real possibility.

This article is part of 蘑菇AV鈥檚 client-only subscription Briefings鈥攄aily newsletters authored by industry analysts who are experts in marketing, advertising, media, and tech trends. To help you finish 2024 strong, and start 2025 off on the right foot, articles like this one鈥攄elivering the latest news and insights鈥攁re completely free through January 31, 2025.

Total media time in Germany is increasing, bucking a Western European trend. Digital growth is fueling much of this, but traditional media鈥檚 enduring appeal is helping, too.

UK consumers have a voracious appetite for digital video content, but the cost-of-living crisis is boosting ad-supported options, particularly broadcaster video-on-demand services. Netflix鈥檚 pivot to an ad tier, meanwhile, may have legs.

Inflation in the UK is easing but remains near a 40-year high. That鈥檚 tamping down consumer spending across all categories鈥攚ith total retail sales set to grow by just 1.7% in 2023, versus a pre-pandemic growth rate of around 4%.

UK regulators block Microsoft鈥檚 attempt to consolidate a gaming behemoth, sending Activision Blizzard stock spiraling. Microsoft faces a tough antitrust fight.

Regulatory changes: The pace of regulatory probes in the EU, UK, and US targeting Big Tech鈥檚 way of business has sped up considerably in the last year or so, prompting tech companies to make concessions and disclose more info about their markets.

Giving Ubisoft the rights to distribute games in the EU could appease UK regulators鈥� concerns, clearing the final stage in gaming鈥檚 biggest acquisition.

The UK government's Competition and Markets Authority announced late in November that it was opening a preliminary inquiry into the merger. The US Federal Trade Commission, which could soon have its hands full with Microsoft, is enacting a review of Broadcom鈥檚 agreement focusing on "conglomerate effects of the combination," which could be swayed by overseas regulations.

Across Western Europe, inflation and uncertainty have hit consumers and businesses alike. But some may prosper in these conditions鈥攕uch as brands using retail media networks and firms advancing sustainability goals.

HSBC acquired the Silicon Valley Bank鈥檚 UK branch to the relief of  England鈥檚 technology sector, which was highly exposed to the collapse of SVB, per TechCrunch. A symptom of a bigger problem: SVB鈥檚 plight could be indicative of the frailty of the US banking system and the volatility surrounding venture capital and startups in the technology and technology-adjacent industries.