Retailing

Having seen solid growth in the previous year as the channel seemed to be recovering from the severe impact of the COVID-19 crisis, general merchandise stores saw sales decline again in Denmark in 2023. This came before the channel had returned to…

General merchandise stores in Belgium registered a slight decline in sales in current value terms in 2023, despite ongoing price rises. This was primarily due to the negative performance of department stores, which suffered from competition from…

In 2023, discounters emerged as the largest and most dynamic format in the grocery retail sector in Turkey, passing out supermarkets in terms of value sales for the first time. The key factor driving this dynamism was the further openings of new…

With inflation remaining elevated in 2023 and disposable income decreasing, consumers were pushed to look for ways to save money. This benefited discounters, with these stores having a strong reputation for offering lower prices than supermarkets.…

Discounters benefitted from heightened price sensitivity in Switzerland in 2023. With average prices increasing across almost all areas of daily life, including in groceries, many local consumers sought to rein in their spending by purchasing…

In 2023, discounters in Portugal recorded double-digit retail value growth. The outbreak of COVID-19 changed consumer habits within discounters in Portugal, as more consumers looked to bulk buy goods. Moving into 2023, some consumers have continued…

Discounters benefited from increased consumer budget consciousness in Denmark in 2023. Although the Danish economy as a whole was performing well in 2023, individual consumers still felt pressure from higher energy bills and interest payments. This…

Discounters in Belgium registered a marked slowdown in growth in current value terms in 2023. This came despite the continued inflationary environment, which meant that value proved to be the most important factor when consumers were doing their…

Direct selling in Turkey registered a further fall in constant values sales in 2023. A shift away from direct selling to e-commerce led to a drop in sales, as e-commerce also provides the convenience of direct delivery. In fact, direct selling was…

As COVID-19 restrictions were eased and shops re-opened in 2022, some consumers turned away from direct selling and showed more interest in going out again and visiting physical retail outlets. However, in 2023, consumers showed renewed interest in…

After years of strong growth during the review period, direct selling in Switzerland recorded decline in 2023, although sales remained above pre-pandemic levels. Local consumers returned to shopping outside of the home, visiting stores more…

In 2023, direct selling sales declined in Portugal for the fourth year in a row. The high competition from other channels, the increasing penetration of e-commerce and changing consumer habits are challenging the channel, and consequently, it…

Direct selling continued to see declining sales in Denmark in 2023. This was partly due to consumers trying to spend less money as they felt the impact of rising interest rates and higher energy prices, but also due to the competition from other…

Direct selling in Belgium registered a decline in sales in current value terms in 2023. This was mainly due to inflationary pressures, which led consumers to become more conservative with their spending. With a growing focus on value-for-money…

In 2023, convenience stores registered significant value growth in Turkey, driven in part by a significant number of new outlets opening. The compact size of these stores made it easier to find suitable locations and their widespread presence in…

Convenience stores in city centre locations saw steady growth in current value terms in 2023 with this being driven by various factors. First, with the pandemic over consumers spent less time working from home than during the height of the health…

Convenience retailers in Switzerland remained popular in 2023, partly due to their extended opening hours, since many stay open 24/7 or at least operate late hours. In addition, wide store networks across easily accessible locations with high…

Following a strong performance during COVID-19, in 2023, sales for convenience retailers in Portugal continued to rise, driven by high inflation levels and nationwide outlet expansion. Sales and outlet growth in convenience stores has been at the…

As life returned to normal in Denmark in 2023 consumers also continued to shop more in convenience stores, with the channel benefiting from the increased level of activity from commuters and other consumers needing snacks and other items on the go.…

Convenience stores represented the most dynamic category within grocery retailing in Belgium in 2023. While not known for being the cheapest channel, the return of consumers to their busy, pre-pandemic lifestyles provided a boost to sales. As such,…

Appliance and electronics specialists were one of the worst performing retail sectors in Turkey in 2023. With most products imported, it registered even higher prices increases than other sectors, due to significant devaluation of the Turkish lira.…

BCC was declared bankrupt by a court in the Netherlands in September 2023 with the retailer finding itself unable to stay afloat amidst rising costs and falling demand. The bankruptcy was also seen to be due to a failure to innovate or successfully…

Appliance and electronics specialists recorded a decline in current retail value sales in Switzerland in 2023 as a result of a combination of factors. Average prices across the category, combined with the higher cost of living in general, dampened…

Appliances and electronic specialists in Portugal saw positive retail value growth in 2023, reaching the highest value results since the beginning of the historic period. However, much of this was driven by rising price points due to ongoing…

Appliances and electronics specialists continued to see declining sales in Denmark in 2023 for a number of reasons. First of all, the category had seen strong growth during the COVID-19 crisis on the back of consumers turning their attention to their…

2023 proved to be a difficult year for appliances and electronics specialists in Belgium. This was mainly due to inflationary pressures, which placed a strain on household budgets. With consumers remaining pessimistic about the general economic…

With inflation very still high, apparel and footwear specialists in Turkey registered both a double-digit percentage increase in current and constant value sales. However, there was slight contraction in the number of outlets, as rising costs led…

Apparel and footwear specialists registered modest growth in current value terms in 2023 although this was down to inflation rather than an increase in demand. Consumers were looking to make savings in 2023 due to pressure on disposable income which…

Apparel and footwear specialists in Switzerland saw a decline in current value sales in 2023 due to consumer price sensitivity, which led to the prioritisation of essential products and a shift towards private label lines and discounters. Moreover,…

Sales of apparel and footwear specialists in Portugal continued to grow in 2023, although at a slower pace when compared to 2022. 2022 was a year of strong recovery following the outbreak of COVID-19, when the channel recorded double-digit growth.…

Apparel and footwear specialists saw decline in Denmark in 2023 as the impact of challenging economic conditions and the rising cost of living squeezed purchasing power and significantly dampened consumer confidence. Moreover, pure play online…

Apparel and footwear specialists in Belgium saw relatively modest growth in current value terms in 2023, when compared to the previous two years. This was mainly due to inflationary pressures, which led to rising prices, as players sought to protect…

Sales were hard-hit by COVID-19 in 2020, as most vending machines are located in consumer foodservice establishments, at public transport hubs, and in petrol stations, and movement restrictions and closures limited foot traffic to such venues. As…

Vending in Norway is dominated by Coca-Cola, which garners over one-third of value share in 2023. Vending sales rebounded strongly in 2023 as vending machines continued to gain popularity with locals. Sales were underpinned by the return of builders…

Maradona confirmed its position as the leading chain of Spanish supermarkets in value terms in 2023 despite ranking second in terms of the number of outlets. The company strengthened its brand equity through intensified promotional campaigns,…

In 2023, grocery retailers engaged in price wars as they reacted to weaker consumer confidence and tried to support consumers facing higher costs of living. Food prices continued to increase significantly as costs soared across the value chain,…

Small local grocers saw only modest growth in current value terms in 2023 while the number of outlets continued to decline, following the pattern seen throughout the review period. During the first year of the pandemic, small local grocers benefited…

Small local grocers accounts for a negligible share of overall value sales within grocery retailers. Like most other grocery retail channels, small local grocers saw exceptional current value growth in 2020 in the first year of the pandemic, as…

Retail in Spain continued to be impacted by high inflation in 2023, with high energy and fuel prices putting pressure on operators and leading to rising prices for the consumer. The Spanish government tried to mitigate the increase in prices by…

Inflationary pressures have led to stronger price competition in Norway’s retail landscape. Food price increases have been a notable issue for grocery retailers resulting in intense competition between supermarkets and discounters. Players have come…

After seeing dynamic double-digit growth year-on-year throughout the review period retail e-commerce saw a slowdown in 2023 in current value terms, with consumer electronics e-commerce even posting a decline in sales. Elevated inflation, rising…

Following very strong progress during the pandemic, retail e-commerce continues to grow at a steady pace in Norway, with another solid performance in 2023. This is even true of segments that performed poorly offline, such as homewares and home…

Despite the Spanish government reducing VAT rates and even placing a 0% VAT rate on foods like fruit and vegetables and bread, food prices continued to grow in 2023, with Spain continuing to experience elevated inflation. While some consumer…

Hypermarket sales have stayed above pre-pandemic levels in 2023, due to a solid performance from the sole player Coop Obs. The retailer employed bulk buying and delivered budget friendly products to compete against other dominant grocery retailers in…

Russia's invasion of Ukraine had a huge impact on global energy prices, with the impact continuing to be felt in Spain in 2023. High energy prices coupled with high inflation and a sharp rise in the cost of living pushed more Spaniards to look into…

After dynamic growth during the pandemic, home improvement and gardening stores and homeware and home furnishings stores have struggled in 2023. Following increases in shipping costs and electricity alongside large inventories, the channels have…

The Dia supermarket chain reached an agreement to sell 1,000 Clarel stores to Colombian group Trinity in 2023. The deal, which it is estimated will reach EUR42.2 million, will see payments spread over six years and will include three distribution…

The Danish health and personal care store Normal witnessed a strong performance in 2023 due to the success of its retail concept. Consumers have been flocking to Normal for budget offers in 2023, with the retailer competing on price with both…

Department stores benefited from the increase in inbound tourists seen in Spain in 2023 as foreign tourists love to go to places such as El Corte Inglés to do their shopping and to partake in the uniquely Spanish experience found in its outlets.…

Even though inflation rates declined in 2023 as compared to the record highs registered in 2022, they remained higher compared to pre-pandemic levels. As a result, price remained the main driving factor behind where many people chose to shop for…