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But it has since declined and is plateauing in key markets such as the UK, France, and Germany. Ecommerce penetration remains particularly low in grocery, where many of the region鈥檚 top RMNs operate. In-store retail media helps advertisers reach more shoppers at the point of purchase.

This is the first installment of our 鈥淯碍 Ad Spending Benchmarks鈥� series, which helps ad buyers and sellers calibrate their spending and revenue mix against the market.鈥�

The news: Ulta Beauty acquired upscale UK beauty retailer Space NK for an undisclosed amount, the company said, as it turns to new markets to offset slowing US growth. Our take: The US beauty market is becoming increasingly saturated as more retailers lean on the category to boost sluggish sales. While expanding to new markets comes with its own set of challenges, Ulta鈥檚 decision to rely on acquisitions and distribution partnerships will help smooth its path.

The UK (30.7%), Indonesia (28.9%), South Korea (28.3%), and Norway (21.4%) are the standouts besides China. The US will rank in the top 10 at 16.9% but won鈥檛 reach the 20% mark until 2029. The digital buyer total worldwide will reach a major milestone this year. More than 3 billion people will buy something online in 2025.

In the UK, the biggest broadcasters are starting to utilize YouTube as an additional platform for their broadcast content. Channel 4 reported that views of full episodes of its programs on YouTube were up 169% YoY, surpassing 110 million organic views, as of February 2025. YouTube is also looking to 鈥減remiumize鈥� its CTV service.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a fast-growing and lucrative ecommerce market. To tap into growth in the country, retailers and brands need to understand what motivates consumers.

The news: Nearly half of US and UK consumers admit to abusing retailers鈥� returns policies in the past 12 months, according to a survey conducted by The Harris Poll. Our take: Retailers face a Catch-22 when it comes to returns. Being too generous opens the door for fraud and can result in retailers being overburdened by reverse logistics costs. But being too restrictive can deter shoppers from opening their wallets.

In our exclusive survey with ESW, data from shoppers in 18 countries reveals new twists in the path to purchase, the rising momentum of marketplaces, and the resilience of age-old fundamentals.

Brazil鈥檚 digital economy continues to thrive, driven by shifting advertising trends and increased social media usage. This report series explores key media consumption trends in Brazil in 2025.

Both of those figures are significantly higher than the 3.8 million monthly users in the UK, an ecommerce market that鈥檚 over 18 times the size of these two markets combined. Estimates show Shein as a leading apparel retailer in the region.

The news: The UK economy contracted by the most in 18 months in April due to the twin pressures of tariffs and tax increases. Our take: The UK economy鈥檚 contraction in April sets the stage for another year of tepid growth. Despite a highly publicized (and yet to be finalized) trade deal with the US, macroeconomic uncertainties are set to weigh heavily on corporate and consumer sentiment, while rising household and business expenses will limit investment and consumer spending.

Alphabet鈥檚 advertising empire is under considerable legal and regulatory pressure in the US and EU, and Meta, Amazon, and TikTok face their own legal problems in various major markets. However, we have not yet adjusted any of our forecasts for potential government action.

The expansion is designed to make India a strategic manufacturing hub鈥攕erving both the domestic market and global platforms like Shein鈥檚 US and UK websites鈥攁s rising tariffs and geopolitical tensions complicate Chinese sourcing. The context: Shein first launched in India in 2018, but its app was banned in 2020 during a broader crackdown on Chinese tech firms.

The news: A wave of cyberattacks is sweeping through the retail industry, with Cartier and North Face the latest to report breaches. Both companies recently notified customers that their names and email addresses had been stolen, although financial information remained secure. Our take: The surge in cyber incidents is coming at the worst possible time for retailers, who are already dealing with extreme upheaval in their supply chains and looking for any opportunity to cut costs. But M&S鈥� cautionary tale should be a wake-up call for companies to invest in cybersecurity.

After years of turbulence, UK ecommerce sales are growing again, albeit slowly. And there won鈥檛 be a significant shift over the next five years.

Even as ecommerce alcohol sales rise, physical stores continue to dominate the path to purchase. Nonalcoholic beverages and Dry January are also picking up steam.

Amazon has invested over $8 billion in Anthropic. The startup uses Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its primary cloud provider and training partner, and Amazon offers Anthropic鈥檚 Claude on Amazon Bedrock. Why does it matter? Regulators may be concerned that tech giants are cornering talent from AI startups through evasive deal-making, especially as AI-skilled workers are in high demand.

US-UK trade deal eases barriers across key sectors: Our FAQ explains how the pact may benefit exporters and affect economic growth.