Retailing

The number of hypermarkets operating in South Africa continued to decline in 2023. The trend emerged just prior to the pandemic due to cautious investments in the wake of economic uncertainty in the country. This scenario was exacerbated by lockdown…

Following the takeover by Retail Supermarkets Nigeria in 2021, Shoprite embarked on a significant expansion drive, signalling robust growth for hypermarkets in Nigeria in 2023. The opening of new outlets, such as the flagship store in Port-Harcourt,…

Hypermarkets in Morocco have continued their evolution into comprehensive one-stop shopping destinations, building on the momentum from the previous year's developments and leveraging innovative strategies to cater to evolving consumer needs.

Hypermarkets was one of the retail channels hit hardest by the pandemic as demand for large-format modern grocery retailers plummeted. Quarantine lockdowns and restrictions on movement, combined with widespread fears of contagion, discouraged…

In 2023, the hypermarkets channel in Canada faced increased competition from online platforms, discounters, and convenience stores, which are offering more convenience, value, and variety to consumers. Online platforms, such as Amazon, Shopify, and…

After discounters, hypermarkets were the best performing grocery channel in Bulgaria in 2023 in terms of value growth. With inflation still high, hypermarkets registered a small increase in constant value sales. Recent opening of new outlets also…

Just like grocery retailers as a whole, hypermarkets saw strong growth in value sales in 2023, although this was almost entirely price driven as inflation remained at unusually high levels for a second consecutive year. Demand itself only showed…

Leading chains of hypermarkets in Argentina like Carrefour and Jumbo are reducing their in-store selling spaces, in order to enhance their e-commerce operations and transform them into real and proper omnichannel outlets. Such spaces are dedicated to…

Home products specialists in the Philippines saw relatively modest growth in current value terms in 2023, compared to the previous year. This was due to persisting inflationary pressures, which placed a strain on household budgets, With many…

After a spike in current value growth in 2022, home products specialists in the Czech Republic saw a noticeable drop in demand for homewares and furniture in 2023. Demand weakened organically following the significant increases seen in 2022, when the…

Home products specialists in South Africa continued to record a fairly weak performance in 2023. From one of the lowest interest rates imposed by the South African Reserve Bank during the pandemic, mortgage rates continued to skyrocket in 2023 as the…

The high inflation rate in 2023 significantly contributed to the growth of home products specialists in Nigeria. The Federal Government's support for mortgage loans, particularly the increase in loan limits from fifteen million to fifty million…

Modernisation and accessibility define the evolving landscape of Morocco's home products specialists channel. Sketch Furniture exemplifies this trend, blending Moroccan elegance with Western style to offer accessible luxury in modern design.…

Mr DIY continued to expand aggressively in Malaysia in 2023, cementing its lead in a highly fragmented competitive landscape. The success of Mr DIY mainly lies in its ability to provide a large variety of good-value products under one roof, thereby…

Canadian Tire, the second largest player in the home products specialists channel in Canada in 2023, behind Home Depot, launched several initiatives towards the end of the review period. Triangle Select is a new annual fee-based subscription…

Home products specialists in Bulgaria registered current value growth in 2023, though constant value sales fell. Inflation was still an issue and impacted profitability. That being said, it was homewares and home furnishing stores that dragged down…

Consumer restraint affected the entire retail sector in 2023, but it was particularly pronounced in home products specialists. Consumers had already invested heavily in their homes during the pandemic, when they were spending much more time at home.…

Home products specialists in Argentina derived some positive effects from the very high inflation and currency exchange rate devaluation in the country in 2023. This was because Argentinian consumers found a number of opportunities to offset the…

Health and beauty specialists in the Philippines saw an improved performance in current value terms in 2023. Growth was boosted by an increase in mobility, including the return of consumers to their physical offices, which

In 2023, health and beauty specialists in the Czech Republic experienced a decline in retail volume sales as price hikes dampened consumption. The largest contributor to category growth were beauty specialists, which continued to see a recovery from…

After being affected by restrictive lockdown restrictions, which resulted in the imposition of face masks and limited social gatherings, beauty specialists in South Africa are now benefiting from consumers’ revived routines, including returning to…

In 2023, health and beauty specialists in Nigeria experienced robust growth, buoyed by high inflation that supported sales of essential items. Consumers prioritising their well-being contributed to the positive growth of this channel. Pharmacies…

Moroccan consumers continue to demonstrate traditional purchasing habits in the health and beauty specialists channel, with wholesalers playing a crucial role in supplying perfumeries. This distribution model offers cost-effective options for…

Guardian continued to lead health and beauty specialists overall in 2023, as well as health and personal care stores, with Watsons as its closest competitor at number two in both cases. These players are key contributors to the segment’s growth in…

In 2023, beauty specialists and pharmacies drove growth in overall health and beauty specialist retailers in Canada. Beauty specialists continued to benefit from the post-COVID-19 surge in demand. With the channel already exceeding pre-pandemic sales…

Despite continuing high inflation, performance for health and beauty specialists in Bulgaria was stable, with constant value sales rising slightly. There was also further opening of outlets. Value sales through pharmacies continued to account for…

Driven by significant price increases, overall health and beauty specialists saw strong growth in value sales in Austria in 2023, roughly at the same level as retail offline overall. Consumers' willingness to spend in this category has generally…

All categories of health and beauty specialists in Argentina recorded triple-digit or very close to triple-digit increases in retail current value sales growth in 2023. Optical goods stores registered the fastest growth in terms of retail current…

The general merchandise stores channel in the Philippines, which is dominated by department stores, saw buoyant growth in current value terms in 2023. An increase in mobility, including the return of consumers to their physical offices, contributed…

General merchandise stores in the Czech Republic, which comprises department stores and variety stores, experienced weaker value growth in 2023. Department stores in Czech Republic continue to lose appeal among locals. As it stands, there are…

Lockdown restrictions imposed on shopping centres during the pandemic were particularly challenging for department stores in South Africa, which often occupy prime rentals in such locations. For Woolworths, the situation was worsened by civil unrest…

In 2023, general merchandise stores in Nigeria faced a notable decline in sales, primarily due to shifting consumer preferences driven by high inflation. As the cost of living rose, consumers found themselves grappling with reduced purchasing power,…

Morocco is embarking on a new trade strategy focused on bolstering local production and fostering job creation, signalling a transformative shift in the market. Collaborative efforts between the government and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce…

In line with global trends, department stores in Malaysia are losing appeal due to growing interest in fast-fashion retailers such as H&M, Zara, Uniqlo, and Padini which offer the latest fashions at relatively affordable prices. Small boutique stores…

General merchandise stores continued to tap into changing consumer demand trends in Canada in 2023. High interest rates coupled with a persistently high rate of inflation caused Canadian consumers to change their shopping habits towards the end of…

Muted performance for general merchandise in 2023

General merchandise stores continued to significantly outperform retailing overall in terms of value sales growth due in the main to the continuing expansion and success of variety stores. It was one of the areas least affected by the generally sharp…

The competitive landscape of general merchandise stores in Argentina witnessed significant disruption towards the end of the review period as Falabella closed its stores and left the country. As a result, the Mexican enterprise Coppel was the only…

2023 proved to be a challenging year for discounters in the Philippines, in light of a limited store count and fierce competition with other retailers. With the revival of hectic pre-pandemic lifestyles, including the return of consumers to their…

High inflation has led to a much weaker economy in 2023, with the increased costs of living benefiting discounters in the Czech Republic. As household spending tightened, price became the overriding factor when purchasing most household goods. Czechs…

In 2023, discounters in South Africa continued to record dynamic growth across all indicators. Despite decelerated food inflation, estimated at an average of 8.5% over 2023 as a whole compared to a 14-year high of 14.4% in March, South African…

Despite the potential for affordability offered by discounters, the overall spending power of Nigerian consumers experienced a decline, dampening the growth for this retail channel in Nigeria in 2023. With inflation soaring, consumers became…

Moroccan households continued to grapple with economic constraints in 2023, driving heightened price sensitivity and bolstering demand for discounters. With inflation reaching a decade high in the previous year, consumers increasingly sought…

The leading chained players in discounters have been eyeing potential expansion opportunities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the improved situation has made it easier for them to justify greater investment in outlet growth. Players have…

In 2023, discounters in Canada came under increasing pressure from government. The relationship between the federal government and grocery retailers has been marked by increased engagement and pressure from the former to address the issue of rising…

Discounters in Bulgaria were the best performing grocery retailers in 2023. With inflation still being high, consumers were price sensitive and prioritised value for money. As such, discounters registered a moderate increase in constant value sales.…

Just like grocery retailers as a whole, discounters saw strong growth in value sales in 2023, although this was almost entirely price-driven as inflation remained at unusually high levels for a second consecutive year. Demand itself only showed…

Consumers in Argentina continued to migrate to discounters in search of low prices, discounts and price promotions, given the complex and difficult economic context in the country. Discounters offer a broad portfolio of private label options covering…

Following a three-year period of decline, direct selling in the Philippines registered modest growth in current value terms in 2023. The channel suffered losses during the pandemic, when agents were unable to sell to their customers on a face-to-face…

Direct selling in the Czech Republic experienced a surge in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic when physical outlets were closed. With online retailers still underdeveloped, direct sellers were able to absorb some of the retail needs of Czechs.…