蘑菇AV

UK food price inflation is hitting record highs鈥攂ut grocery sales are flat. Faced with rising bills, consumers are changing shopping habits to keep spending in check.

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%.

This third annual study ranks the four largest UK neobanks by customers based on their support of 49 emerging mobile banking features, weighted by consumer demand for each feature.

The UK is seeing stagnant social network user growth. But while reach remains huge, marketers should look at how their target markets are spread across platforms because this is where the real change is happening.

UK inflation eased in November: However, there is no shortage of challenges facing UK merchants and consumers, including a recent rail strike.

Discover the dynamic shift toward digital wallets in the US and the UK in the latest podcast episode of "Behind the Numbers: The Banking & Payments Show." Delve into the compelling discourse on how younger generations' move to digital is rendering traditional wallets obsolete. Join host Rob Rubin, our US-based analyst Tyler Van Dyke, and UK-based analyst Carina Perkins as they unravel trends in digital transactions for dining, shopping, and ID verification. In the "For Argument's Sake" section, we dissect the fierce competition for market dominance among industry giants like Apple and Google, established players like PayPal, rising star Paze, and potential disruptors. Tune in for a forward-looking conversation and hit subscribe for the latest insights. Key insights: - Youth-led shift: Analysis reveals a robust trend among younger consumers pivoting to digital wallets for everyday activities, indicating a cultural and technological shift. - Market dominance debate: We uncover the strategic moves by tech titans and emergent challengers vying to capture the largest share of digital wallet users. - Cross-Atlantic perspectives: Insights from US and UK analysts present a diverse view on the adoption of digital wallets, offering a broader understanding of the global digital economy.

On today's podcast episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss the differences between how US and UK consumers shop for groceries. Then, for "Pop-Up Rankings," we rank two grocery stores doing digital well, two taking an alternate approach, and why both can work. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analysts Blake Droesch and Carina Perkins.

US grocery ecommerce sales will grow 17.4% in 2024 to total $219.04 billion, according to our forecast. Meanwhile, UK grocery ecommerce sales will grow only 5.1% to total $37.06 billion in 2024. 鈥淎t the end of the day, consumers in the US enjoy the conveniences of delivery, but they鈥檙e not necessarily willing to pay an exorbitant fee,鈥� said our analyst Blake Droesch, emphasizing the perceived value of Walmart+ and Amazon Prime memberships to these shoppers.

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

Just as the tech blows up in banking, UK startup Evident has created a non-biased index that scores banks on AI development and implementation.

Adults in France now spend more time with digital media than with traditional media. While media habits are fairly advanced in that respect, the country still sits behind the UK, so French marketers could look there for ideas about strategy.

National Bank plans to expand its offerings by leveraging Canadian Western鈥檚 sizable presence in Ontario and British Columbia as well as its focus on and relationships with small- to medium-size corporations, per a press release.

Finally, the UK comes in somewhat under its peers: Its gamer figures have been volatile in recent years, with a pandemic-era spike in 2020 followed by outright declines in 2022 and 2023. The Middle East and Africa will lead in growth in 2025, but at a modest level.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the reasons that retailers are launching new store formats, what those layouts look like in the US vs. the UK, which ones are working, and which ones are not. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analysts Carina Perkins and Zak Stambor.

The streaming service also launched in the UK last year in an effort to capitalize on the market鈥檚 FAST viewership boom, though it faces stiff competition from entrenched streamers. What鈥檚 next: Tubi will have to prove that it can handle the large viewership that its broadcast is likely to attract in order to prove to new viewers and advertisers that its service is worth returning to.

Zara bets on live shopping following China success: The fast-fashion retailer is expanding its live commerce capabilities to the US, UK, and Europe.

Any new owners would also inherit TikTok鈥檚 ongoing content moderation and data privacy concerns, including multiple lawsuits in the US, the EU, and the UK. Beyond regulatory hurdles, a buyer will need to rebuild trust with lawmakers and users regarding TikTok鈥檚 algorithm and ad targeting.

The leading reason consumers in the UK and US return online purchases is due to fit, size, or color, according to Coveo. Damage, defects, and poor quality are other top reasons. Some 18% of UK and US consumers make returns because they order multiple sizes with the intent of keeping only those that fit.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we bring you the major themes that we witnessed directly from the Money20/20 conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. Recorded from the conference floor, we discuss the data and tech required to offer customers payments choices, expectations in embedded finance, and consumers鈥� privacy and trust. Tune in to the discussion with host Rob Rubin, our principal analyst Tiffani Montez, and Sean Welsh, senior vice president and managing director of financial institutions at Affinity Solutions.

On today's episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss why livestream shopping hasn't caught on in the US and the UK the same way it has in China, what TikTok is doing to make the US鈥檚 launch more successful than the UK's, and what shoppers are looking for from a livestream. Then for "Pop-Up Rankings," we rank the top four brands that have done livestream shopping well. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analysts Sky Canaves and Carina Perkins.

On today鈥檚 episode, host Bill Fisher is joined by our analysts Paul Briggs, Matteo Ceurvels, and Carina Perkins to talk about the upcoming crowning of King Charles III in the UK, other major events around the world, and what sort of effects they will have on retail and marketing.