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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.

Pitch us your next photoshoot

Unsplash is inviting photographers to pitch their next photoshoot idea, as announced in a new blog post by Kelsey Bryant.

8-K Financial Filing Analysis for Shutterstock (2026-09-08)

On September 4, 2026, Shutterstock, Inc. announced the appointment of three new independent members to its Board of Directors: Timothy Adams, Matthew Salzberg, and Michael Thompson, effective September 8, 2026. Timothy Adams (CFO of Validity and former CFO of Rapid7) and Matthew Salzberg (founder/former CEO of Blue Apron) were named Class II directors with terms expiring at the 2026 annual meeting, while Michael Thompson (Managing Partner of Reinvent Capital) was appointed as a Class III director with a term expiring in 2027. The additions strengthen Shutterstock's governance, financial oversight, tech scaling, and AI/investment expertise.

• Appointment of three independent directors—Timothy Adams, Matthew Salzberg, and Michael Thompson—effective September 8, 2026.
• Adams and Salzberg appointed as Class II directors (terms expiring at the 2026 annual meeting); Thompson appointed as Class III director (term expiring at the 2027 annual meeting).
• New directors will receive standard non-employee director compensation with standard indemnification agreements and no current committee assignments.

Google sets new Android app memory requirements

Google announced new "Quality Requirements" for Android apps via its developer blog, introducing three areas of standards—Dynamic Memory Usage, Bitmap Memory Usage and Optimized Dex-Code—to improve stability and performance amid an ongoing RAM shortage. Google is rolling out tooling to measure these metrics and requires developers to meet the standards by February 2027. Apps that fail to comply may see reduced discoverability in Play Store search results or removal. The policy aims to ensure smoother operation of apps on devices with less RAM.

• Google announced three new "Quality Requirements" for Android apps in a developer blog.
• The requirements cover Dynamic Memory Usage, Bitmap Memory Usage and Optimized Dex-Code.
• Google is rolling out tools that measure the specified memory and performance metrics.

Early DLSS 5 Leak Shows Nvidia Tool in Action

A modder has enabled an early, unofficial version of Nvidia's DLSS 5 inside multiple games after extracting files from an early-access build of NBA 2K27. The demonstration — run inside Remedy's game Control — shows a new 'Neural Uplift' option with presets and sliders that heavily alters character faces and, to a lesser extent, environment color, shadows and reflections. Nvidia announced DLSS 5 in March 2026 and has said developers can control how strongly it affects their games. The leaked build is an early preview; the final behaviour will likely be seen when Nvidia ships the feature this autumn.

• Nvidia announced a new DLSS version (DLSS 5) in March 2026.
• A modder extracted files from an early-access build of NBA 2K27 and applied an early, unofficial DLSS 5 build to other games.
• The modder demonstrated DLSS 5 inside Remedy's game Control, using a 'Neural Uplift' toggle and adjustable presets/sliders.