Retailing

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…

Following the outbreak of COVID-19, restrictions on travel and socialising heavily impacted certain non-grocery retailers, as consumers were confided to the household. With the risk of COVID-19 reducing, the government has lifted restrictions on…

Home products specialists felt significant impact from the escalating cost of raw materials in 2022. The surge in raw material prices had a cascading effect on consumer demand for home products, as retailers were compelled to transfer the additional…

Non-grocery retail is seeing robust double-digit growth in 2022, stimulated by the return to out-of-home lifestyles following the era of the pandemic restrictions. This is also notably supported by the ongoing economic recovery in Slovenia. Inflation…

Non-grocery retailers posted a strong rise in current value growth in 2022 supported by a rebound in demand as consumer lifestyles shifted back to greater normality post-pandemic. Inflationary pressures have undoubtedly pushed up retail prices, but…

In 2022, though there was double-digit growth in current value sales, growth in constant value sales

The reduction in spending power in Argentina and the rise of prices in Uruguay have impacted the results of some of the key players in grocery retailers. The exchange between Uruguay and Argentina has traditionally been strong, with a long-standing…

In 2022 grocery retailers in Tunisia faced a multitude of challenges, including supply shortages and fluctuating consumer demand. A significant contributing factor to these challenges was the rapid escalation of consumer prices, which surged to…

Forecourt retailers is maintaining solid growth, after recovering from its declines during the era of pandemic restrictions. Within this environment, in March 2023, it was revealed that MOL Group has sold 39 service stations to Shell in Slovenia, as…

Reduced price initiatives continue to gain momentum in the Dominican Republic as inflation squeezes consumer expenditure. Price sensitivity has been an issue since the pandemic with Dominicans looking for more affordable options. The number of…

In 2022, though there was double-digit growth in current value sales, growth in constant value sales

Beauty and personal care brands, including players such as Avon, continued to represent the largest part of the direct selling business. In 2022, these players were able to leverage their longstanding relationship with consumers, using their solid…

Direct selling benefited from a rising number of agents, particularly women, in Tunisia in 2022. This surge in participation can be attributed to the intensified recruitment efforts of leading operators such as Avon, which actively sought to expand…

Direct selling is seeing positive growth in 2022, albeit below the level of inflation. The category took a hit during the era of the pandemic, when restrictions on person-to-person contact severely dampened value sales, and 2021 only saw a modest…

Beauty and personal care remain the main category in direct selling with brands like Belcorp and Natura posting positive growth in 2022. The use of personalized recommendations and innovative products at affordable prices is supporting development.…

Direct selling registered a fall in constant value sales in 2022, as double-digit inflation caused by the energy crisis stemming the war in Ukraine dampened volume sales. In fact, direct selling was the worst performing retail channel in 2022, as…

A significant number of expats left the country after the outbreak of COVID-19 but they are now returning, with this providing a boost to retail in Oman in 2022. Consumers in Muscat are demanding greater convenience due to increasingly hectic…

Retail in Estonia saw total current value sales grow at a double-digit rate for a second consecutive year in 2022. However, growth was only marginally faster than in 2021 despite steep increases in unit prices for all kinds of goods amidst a surge in…

The country continued to emerge out of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in 2022. With the relaxation of restrictions on movement and socialisation, shoppers returned to physical stores, driving the ongoing recovery of sales in categories that were…

Growth in total e-commerce current value sales in 2022 was down markedly on 2021, and also much lower than the CAGR for the entire review period. This was partly explained by the normalisation of trade, in that after having received a significant…

Before the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, e-commerce purchases of goods were largely made via foreign websites, such as Amazon or other similar sites. However, with the development and strong promotion of domestic e-commerce…

Despite steep price hikes resulting from the dramatic and prolonged spike in inflation, overall current value sales growth for non-grocery retailers in Estonia in 2022 was only slightly stronger than that recorded in 2021. Demand in all channels was…

Pharmacies remained a leading format within non-grocery retailers in Bolivia at the end of the review period. Farmacorp, the leading non-grocery retailer, continued to invest heavily in expansion to reach, according to the company, all regional…

While grocery retailers in Estonia showed a markedly improved performance in terms of overall current value sales growth in 2022, this was mainly due to soaring inflation fuelled by the global recovery from the pandemic and the fallout of Russia’s…

New payment technologies continued to arrive in modern grocery channels in Bolivia at the end of the review period. Consumers demand in-person shopping options that incorporate more of the ease and convenience of online shopping. In a market where…

Growth in direct selling current value sales in 2022 was up significantly on 2021. While this was partly because spiralling inflation caused unit prices to rise, the improvement was primarily explained by reduced concern about community transmission…

The outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic hit direct selling companies hard as they were almost entirely dependent on their sales agents or distributors to generate sales. Restrictions on movement and socialisation stopped this model in its…

Rising incomes and urbanisation are broadening the appeal of modern retailing, with more consumers able to access these channels. However, informal retail remains strong, while poor infrastructure is hindering retail development. Younger consumers…

The lifting of COVID-19 restrictions boosted the economy and helped resolve some supply chain issues. However, high inflation put pressure on incomes thus limiting stronger growth in some retail channels, with consumers focusing on their primary…

Retailing in Paraguay maintained its bounce back in 2022 from the previous year after the market declined in 2020 due to the global pandemic. The full removal of COVID-19 restrictions and the rollout of vaccines facilitated a greater degree of…

Retailing rebounded strongly in 2022 in a continuation of the previous year. The reopening of society and the resumption of pre-pandemic lifestyles were enabled by the rollout of vaccines and the waning of the virus, all of which reduced fears of…

Retailing in Costa Rica was challenged in 2022, with rising inflation and price hikes impacting consumer buying habits. In addition, high levels of unemployment in the country continued to impact household budgets, shaping purchasing decisions. This…

While e-commerce sales saw significant growth in 2021, in 2022, growth was boosted even further, with strong double-digit value retail growth recorded. Online sales are well developed in Costa Rica in regional terms but remain immature in global…

Following its acquisition by Grupo Unicomer, RadioShack reopened its stores in Costa Rica in 2022. The player plans to have 18 outlets within the country by the end of 2024. This moves shows the continued importance, opportunity and growth for…

Leading player Wal-Mart continued to invest in expanding Palí and Maxi Pali in 2022, opening new locations nationwide. Between January to September, nine stores in different parts of the country were opened: seven Palí stores and two Maxi Palí. The…

Following low value sales in 2021, direct selling saw a positive boost in 2022, despite rising price points and inflation. The most positive aspect has been the strong recovery of beauty and personal care sales, the largest part of the category.…

Retailing saw a surge in current value sales as inflation rates soared in 2022. With retailers still struggling to recover post-pandemic, consumer purchasing power was hit by rising retail prices. Consumers made cutbacks and focused on essential…

The war in Ukraine exacted a heavy toll on Georgia’s economy with retail prices spiking in 2022. Close trade links with Russia and Georgia’s status as an emerging economy have also exerted pressure on the country’s currency, with depreciation also…

E-commerce posted another strong year of growth in 2022, with current value sales buoyed by higher inflation rates. Following the boom during the COVID-19 pandemic, online retailers witnessed more sustainable growth as many consumers returned to…

Georgians shifted back to in-store shopping behaviours following the removal of pandemic restrictions. Many consumers chose to prioritise retail shopping in shopping malls and high streets as lifestyles shifted back to normality. Non-grocery…

The war in Ukraine has impacted grocery retailing in Georgia with inflation contributing to price increases across the category. Georgia’s growing consumer base in 2022 has added further impetus to retail value growth. Georgia has been a popular…

Although value sales through direct selling are low in Georgia, they showed a slight increase in 2022. There is a shift away from this channel due to growing competition from online players, which provide a greater assortment of products and the…

Despite the deleterious impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Uzbekistan recorded positive annual real GDP growth of 1.9% in 2020. With the reopening of the economy, as well as higher state investment and a recovery in remittance inflows that bolstered…

Sri Lanka experienced an economic crisis in 2022 with hyperinflation and severe import restrictions due to a lack of dollars. Many retailers struggled to meet demand with the country experiencing severe shortages, including for key products such as…

In 2022, retail in Pakistan was severely impacted by the devastating floods and the economic crisis. Dwindling consumer purchasing power, supply chain disruptions, reduced agriculture output, weak lending activity by commercial banks and currency…

Retail in Myanmar witnessed double-digit growth in current value terms in 2022 but this was largely driven by high inflation and the depreciation of the local currency exchange rate. Households became more price sensitive amidst declining purchasing…

Inflation has had an impact on consumer behaviour, leading them to become more cautious about their spending, with essential goods taking priority during 2022. Moreover, discounters serve as a major driver of retail offline, thanks to their best…

The War in Ukraine had a strong impact on Latvia in 2022, creating conditions for high inflation and economic and political uncertainty. This, in turn, affected consumer priorities and spending patterns in retail arenas. Meanwhile, retail in Latvia…

Inflation remains high, making imported goods more expensive for consumers and restricting purchases of non-essentials, despite a degree of post-COVID-19 recovery. Retailing remains underdeveloped, with informal retailing dominant and benefiting from…

Positive growth was seen in retail in 2022 as shopping in malls remained a popular pastime among Kuwaitis. However, e-commerce boomed during the year as investment in tech start-ups brought more convenience to consumers. Kuwait’s population is young,…