Retailing

Against a challenging economic background discounters is proving to be a resilient format in retail in France in 2023, as one of the most dynamic distribution channels. Discounters has the advantage of affordability and high appeal to…

Market saturation in the United Arab Emirates, featuring prominent brands across diverse retail channels, poses a hurdle in persuading consumers to choose direct selling. To navigate this competitive landscape, direct selling players must distinguish…

Direct selling was unexpectedly successful in France around the time of pandemic. Initially facing a downturn in early 2020, it rebounded in 2021. Though the overall category has slumped again in 2023, continuing 2022’s downward trend, this fall was…

Despite the considerable growth of hypermarkets and supermarkets, and the increasing use of online ordering for groceries, the active and social lifestyles of consumers in the United Arab Emirates continue to support sustainable demand for…

The quick commerce (q-commerce) sector in France, with its ultra-fast grocery delivery services, expanded rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic, gaining ground across urban areas. This growth was fuelled by lockdowns that pushed demand for services…

Consumers in the United Arab Emirates are increasingly seeking appliances and electronics with smart features and connectivity, driving growth of products such as smart TVs, AI-powered washing machines, and connected refrigerators. Local consumers…

Current value sales in appliances and electronic specialists slumped in 2023 after slowing down in 2022. This downward trend is partly explained by the post-pandemic normalisation of sales in tech and consumer and home appliance products, with surges…

In 2023, value sales of apparel and footwear specialists in the United Arab Emirates continued to recover from the significant impact of the pandemic, when the channel recorded a double-digit decline in 2020. A return to in-store shopping (despite…

In 2021 and 2022, apparel and footwear specialist retailers in France saw strong current value growth as they began their post-pandemic recovery. However, inflationary pressures have since reduced household spending on discretionary goods. In 2023…

Vending machines have a significant presence in Japan, and have been part of the local culture for decades. Vending is a contactless, unmanned, compact, and convenient way of shopping. Although sales declined during the pandemic, a rebound was seen…

In 2023, price rises were seen across various industries in Japan, impacting the cost of living. During COVID-19, consumers’ eating habits shifted more towards cooking and eating at home. Despite the country gradually returning to the pre-COVID-19…

Traditionally, Japanese consumers have enjoyed shopping in areas called Shotengai, where many small shops, including small local grocers, are lined up along the streets. Customers visit different specialist shops to buy their vegetables, fish, and…

Retail maintained solid current value growth in Japan in 2023, with increases across both offline and e-commerce. In 2023, offline retail regained stronger momentum due to the return of mobility post-COVID-19. On 8 May 2023, the Japanese government…

After e-commerce showed double-digit current value growth during COVID-19 in 2020, growth slowed significantly in 2021, and remained at this lower level in 2022 and 2023, as with the reopening of physical stores post-pandemic, fewer people made the…

Hypermarkets usually sell a wider range of products compared with other types of grocery retailers, such as supermarkets and convenience stores, but may not be as centrally positioned or as favoured for regular visits. Nevertheless, hypermarkets…

Home products specialists saw growth in current value terms in 2023. Increases were seen across all channels, but as in the previous year, growth was driven mainly by homewares and home furnishing stores. The leading player in this channel, Nitori,…

On 8 May 2023, the Japanese government announced that it would reclassify COVID-19 as a class 5 infectious disease, which is the same classification as seasonal flu. As a result, decisions regarding infection control are now left to individuals and…

In 2023, department stores benefited from a rebound in the number of tourists visiting Japan and the depreciation of the yen. Although it lagged somewhat behind other countries, Japan finally lifted COVID-19 regulations in 2023. As for the recovery…

Direct selling continues to face headwinds due to the ageing of the customer base, and the loss of recruitment opportunities due to changes in social behaviour since the pandemic. On the other hand, some players saw rising sales in 2023, as society…

On 8 May 2023, the Japanese government announced that it would reclassify COVID-19 as a class 5 infectious disease, which is the same classification as seasonal flu. This shift pushed consumers in Japan to go back to their pre-COVID-19 behaviours,…

Yodobashi partnered with Fortress Investment Group in the acquisition of the department store brands Seibu and Sogo from Seven & i Holdings Co Ltd, and is hoping to establish a new store in Ikebukuro. Ikebukuro is one of the largest towns in Japan,…

The leading player in apparel and footwear specialists, Fast Retailing, has been focusing on experiences in its stores. Having both an offline and online presence, the retailer aims to differentiate its physical stores by providing customers with…

The war in Ukraine had a negative impact, with the resultant energy crisis leading to high inflation and dampening volume sales somewhat. As a result, while overall retail registered a healthy increase in current value sales in 2022, constant value…

Croatians were impacted by rising inflation in 2022 and faced a cost of living crisis similar to many shoppers across Europe. As the economy started to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and rising costs of energy and raw materials…

E-commerce registered double-digit current value growth in 2022, as well as healthy constant value growth, in spite of high inflation. The high inflation was due to the war in Ukraine, which led to soaring energy prices, which in turn led to higher…

E-commerce continued to gain significant value share in 2022 as part of the ongoing development of this category. Many consumers sought out cheaper prices online as the cost of living crisis hit many Croatian households. On balance, Croatia is seeing…

In 2022, though there was healthy growth in current value sales, constant value sales fell. The war in Ukraine had a negative impact, with the resultant energy crisis leading to soaring inflation and dampening volume sales. With such economic…

Croatia has largely recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, with the boost in summer tourism supporting sales growth in non-grocery retailing. Tourism is an important part of the local economy, but the pandemic restrictions had stifled visitor numbers…

In 2022, though there was healthy growth in current value sales, constant value sales fell. The war in Ukraine had a negative impact, with the resultant energy crisis leading to soaring inflation and dampening volume sales. In addition, there was…

In light of inflationary pressures, consumers have become increasingly discerning and cost-conscious in 2022. Grocery retailers have navigated this more complex climate by implementing various measures to address changing preferences, such as…

In 2022, though there was healthy growth in current value sales, constant value sales remained unchanged. The war in Ukraine had a negative impact, with the resultant energy crisis leading to soaring inflation and dampening sales somewhat. That being…

Direct selling exceeded pre-pandemic sales in 2022 as the channel sought to recover from the severe impact of restrictions on selling door-to-door. However, much of the current value growth in 2022 was driven by higher retail prices as inflation took…

Retail e-commerce continued to see more dynamic growth than offline retail in 2022 in current value terms with companies continuing to invest in setting up, expanding and improving their online presence. Local and international retailers have been…

Retail e-commerce in Serbia continued to see dynamic growth in 2022, even outpacing the sharp spike in growth seen in 2020 following the outbreak of COVID-19. Retail e-commerce in Serbia has grown considerably since the start of the pandemic, with…

As COVID-19 fears subsided and restrictions were eased some non-grocery retailers saw a boost to sales, but especially those channels related to activities outside the home. For example, with consumers starting to travel home and abroad again there…

New store openings within the modern grocery retailers channel helped fuel growth in current value terms in 2022, albeit the number small local grocers and food/drink/tobacco specialists declined. For example, Delhaize Serbia, the second largest…

Although direct selling saw dynamic growth in current value terms in 2022 this was actually barely above inflation levels. In 2021 direct selling in Serbia started on the path to recovery from the hit it took during the first year of the COVID-19…

The economic crisis continues to impact the Lebanese retailing industry, with negative value growth in constant price terms seen across all categories in 2022. Consumers are spending much less than prior to the onset of the crisis, with demand…

Iraq’s retail industry has continued to expand and develop during the post-pandemic era, with buoyant global oil prices, rising levels of FDI and substantial improvements in retailing infrastructure amidst booming post-conflict redevelopment all…

Retail in Ecuador posted strong growth in current value terms in 2022, building on the strong recovery posted the previous year. With COVID-19 fears subsiding and most of the remaining restrictions being lifted locals and foreign visitors were more…

Historically, online spending by Ecuadorians has been primarily focused on services and entertainment. However, consumption patterns in this area changed dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, with people increasingly choosing to purchase…

According to the Instituto Nacional de Estadisticas y Censos (INEC), consumer appliances and electronics experienced a reduction in prices over 2022, when compared to 2021. This was in part due to a normalisation of production thereby ensuring there…

Grocery retailers continued to see dynamic growth in 2022, with the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions supporting economic activity and boosting consumer confidence. Furthermore, while many consumers remained price sensitive in 2022, spending was…

In Norway, general merchandise stores only includes variety stores, as there are no department stores in the country. In 2020, the channel saw exceptional current value growth as consumers looked for items such as cleaning products when the pandemic…

The channel did not see any important changes in the last couple of years of the review period, with no new brands entering the market or announcing their intention to do so. This meant that the existing players continued to gain ground, using new…

Inflation and ongoing price increases significantly impacted the retail industry in 2022. High price rises led to changing consumer behaviours, with a drop in demand as many were looking to delay significant purchases, reducing and adapting their…

The persistent challenge of inflationary pressure continued to hinder growth in retail in Tunisia in 2022, despite concerted government efforts to alleviate the issue. This economic strain remains and is especially pronounced in discretionary goods,…

Retail in Slovenia is being supported by the return to out-of-home lifestyles in 2022, following the pandemic restrictions which stretched into 2021. Retail e-commerce is the big winner, as this channel was notably enhanced by the era of the pandemic…

Retail in 2022: The big picture

Consumers were impacted by high inflation and rising prices in 2022 and increasingly opted to reduce their spending or seek out promotional deals to budget effectively. Dominicans sought out retailers and channels that offered the greatest return on…