US to spend $2 billion on Cyber Monday
A massive $2bn is predicted to be spent on Cyber Monday in the US, whilst Europeans are going to spread their Christmas shopping over a three-week bonanza, according to new research.
Europe
Businesses and freelancers ‘going online to escape local economies’
European countries with double-digit unemployment rates are seeing online freelancer’s earnings increase up to 298%, as workers go online to earn money free from the economic constraints of their countries, according to new research.
Google bringing sponsored shopping results to Europe and beyond
Google is gearing up to extend its paid results on its Google Shopping tool, as the web giant looks to extend its hugely successful AdWords model to the world of ecommerce.
Google Music launches in UK: Free cloud storage for 20,000 songs
Google Music service has finally launched in the UK and across Europe, undercutting the likes of Amazon and iTunes by offering free cloud storage for up to 20,000 tracks.
Groupon shares drop 30% as daily deals falter
Online voucher firm Groupon has seen its shares fall 30% after its third quarter revenues fell short of analysts’ forecasts.
HubSpot gets $35m funding boost for Europe expansion
Social media marketing firm HubSpot has raised an additional $35m in a new funding round.
Google dips below 90% in UK for first time in 5 years
October proved to be scary month not just for Halloween but also for Google’s share of the UK search market. October figures suggest 89.33% of all web searches in the UK were made using Google.
Rakuten buys logistics firm to boost delivery
Play.com owners Rakuten has bought French e-commerce logistics business, Alpha Direct Services, as the Japanese retail giant looks to bolster its European operations.
Top tips: Creating a social media campaign in Russia
In some countries, social media isn’t just about Facebook. With so many brands focusing on the BRIC markets, Patrick Eve, MD of international translation agency, TranslateMedia, gives the lowdown on social media use in Russia.
EU data protection laws ‘sent back to drawing board’
European data protection proposals have been slammed by a select committee for being “too prescriptive”.