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Sony raised PlayStation 5 prices in Europe, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, citing a 鈥渃hallenging economic environment.鈥� While US prices have held steady for now, Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games, told CNBC a domestic hike is likely once tariff policy becomes clearer. The Verge also reported that some Sony Bravia OLED TVs now cost about $500 more in the US than in Canada after currency adjustment.

The company also collaborated with partners such as Bad Bunny, Wales Bonner, and Edison Chen. It also sold off the last of its once-lucrative Yeezy sneaker line鈥檚 inventory in Q4; Yeezy generated revenues of around 鈧�650 million ($700.8 million) in 2023.

Microsoft also paused talks or stopped development at sites in Indonesia, the UK, Australia, Illinois, North Dakota, and Wisconsin, per Bloomberg. Microsoft said in January that it was on target to spend $80 billion on data centers this fiscal year, which ends in June, but that progress and future investments may slow following the recent tech market crash. Why the withdrawal?

The audio platform also introduced Generative AI Ads, allowing advertisers to produce customizable audio spots at no extra cost鈥攃urrently in English with North American accents, with UK English coming next. Why it matters: Spotify is addressing digital audio鈥檚 underinvestment problem with tools that meet marketers鈥� growing demand for targeting, attribution, and automation.

Retail media ad spending in Germany sits between France and the UK in terms of dollar value. But it鈥檚 far ahead in terms of digital advertising market share. The channel鈥檚 spend will approach $3 billion in Germany in 2024, accounting for more than a fifth of total digital advertising.

While Shein is angling to go public as soon as April, that could now be pushed into the second half of the year鈥攚hich would force the company to refile with the UK authorities, lengthening an already protracted process. Our take: Shein is in trouble.

The grand final of this year鈥檚 Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Liverpool, UK, on May 13. Attracting a Super Bowl-sized audience, tourists, and viewing parties, the competition鈥檚 global reach will provide marketers and retailers with a notable opportunity to drive brand awareness and sales.

It became available in the UK in 2021. Operations under pressure: This move comes as TikTok Shop is feeling the heat from ByteDance after failing to meet its 2024 sales goals, with staff facing new pressures to improve performance, per a Business Insider report.

UK retail sales are performing better than expected, with consumers still spending despite high inflation鈥攂ut ecommerce will lose further share this year as shoppers continue returning to stores and cut nonessential spending.

Spotify reported a successful January launch in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, and now plans to expand the program to eligible creators in France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Ireland, New Zealand, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Australia starting April 29.

And PayPal鈥檚 Fastlane is also expanding to the UK and other European markets through a partnership with JPMorgan Payments. The bigger picture: PayPal forecasts strong growth in the next few years thanks to these initiatives. It projected that the annual growth rate for branded checkout volume will be between 8% and 10% YoY in 2027, up from 6% YoY in 2024.

The feature will roll out to Android users in the US, the UK, Australia, Spain, and Poland in the coming weeks. The bigger picture: Google Wallet previously added tap to pay support for its kid-focused Fitbit Ace LTE through partnerships with Greenlight and Acorns. And it鈥檚 not the only mobile wallet to launch kid- and teen-oriented payment features.

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.

27% of UK and US adults plan to start buying holiday gifts as early as October, according to an April 2024 survey from Salsify.

The pandemic accelerated investment in CX technology to meet rapidly changing needs. But as consumer priorities shift again amid high inflation, UK retailers need to understand which technologies are hitting the mark and which are not.

Total media time is flattening out in the UK after the artificial bump brought about by the pandemic. Video consumption, though, via multiple platforms, is one area where marketers can count on continued consumer engagement.

In the UK, X鈥檚 total revenues, which include revenues from non-ad products, plummeted by 66.3% YoY in 2023, according to financial filings made by X in April 2025. Total headcount in the UK also fell from 399 to 114 that year due to Musk鈥檚 cost-cutting measures. Marketers in the UK tend to be more concerned about brand safety and suitability than those in the US.

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.

Sales fulfilled via click and collect are growing faster than total ecommerce sales in the UK as cash-strapped consumers avoid delivery costs and retailers race to make their services faster, cheaper, and more efficient.

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.

The UK is a digital payments leader, though traditional payments provide a backbone. Payment method preferences among different demographic groups are determining the winners and losers.