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EU Retail Loses Share of Private Consumption, NIQ Report

A NielsenIQ (NIQ) report finds that EU purchasing power per capita rose nominally by 3.3% in 2025 to €22,425, while retail sales in the EU grew only 2.1%, slowing from previous years. Total available funds across the 27 EU states reached roughly €10.1 trillion. The share of private consumption spent in retail fell to 31.9% in 2025, with Germany the lowest at 22.2% and Croatia the highest at 48.3%. Retail sales growth varied widely across markets (Norway +13.1%, Lithuania +10.5%, Sweden +8.9%, Bulgaria +8.2%, Slovakia +8.0%); the UK saw a -0.6% decline. Average EU inflation dropped to 2.5% in 2025 but NIQ expects inflation to rise to about 3.1% in 2026, which could keep pressure on retailers as consumers shift spending toward services, travel and leisure.

• NielsenIQ (NIQ) reports average purchasing power per EU inhabitant rose 3.3% in 2025 to €22,425.
• Total available consumer funds across the 27 EU states were approximately €10.1 trillion in 2025.
• EU retail sales grew 2.1% in 2025, slower than the 3.3% gain in purchasing power.

PDD Holdings Grows, Investments Weigh on Profit

PDD Holdings, parent of Temu and Pinduoduo, reported second-quarter 2026 results showing revenue growth but lower net profit due to higher investments. Q2 revenue rose 8% year-on-year to RMB 112.4 billion, driven by transaction services, while net income attributable to shareholders fell 12% to RMB 27.2 billion. Operating expenses increased as the company expanded spending on merchant subsidies, marketing, compliance, and platform development. PDD retains a strong liquidity position with RMB 456.4 billion in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments and positive operating cash flow, and management says it prioritizes long-term platform-building over short-term profit maximization amid a complex regulatory environment.

• PDD Holdings reported Q2 2026 revenue of RMB 112.4 billion (approx. USD 16.6 billion), up 8% year-on-year.
• Net income attributable to shareholders fell 12% to RMB 27.2 billion in Q2 2026.
• Transaction services revenue increased 13% to RMB 54.7 billion; online marketing and other services generated RMB 57.6 billion.

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UserTesting Launches MCP Servers for AI Workflow Integration

UserTesting announced the availability of its Model Context Protocol (MCP) Servers for UserTesting and User Interviews platforms, enabling teams to access human insight directly within AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Figma Make. This integration allows product, design, UX, and research teams to recruit participants, create and launch studies, and retrieve customer feedback without switching between applications, embedding customer validation into AI-driven workflows. The servers draw on UserTesting's enterprise testing platform and User Interviews' participant network of over seven million people across 34 countries. The launch aims to address the challenge of AI models pulling toward familiar patterns by grounding AI-generated ideas in real human feedback, ensuring that decisions are validated with actual customers. Both MCP servers are now available in Early Access, supporting a range of MCP-compatible clients.

• UserTesting veröffentlicht MCP-Server für UserTesting und User Interviews.
• Die Server ermöglichen Rekrutierung, Studien und Feedback direkt in ChatGPT, Claude, Figma Make und anderen MCP-Clients.
• Das Teilnehmernetzwerk umfasst über sieben Millionen Personen in 34 Ländern.