Retailing

It was another tough year for appliances and electronics specialists in Italy in 2023 with the category seeing a decline in current value terms for the second consecutive year. Sales slumped in 2020 due to the outbreak of COVID-19 before recording a…

Appliances and electronics specialists in Finland witnessed further decline in 2023, in volume and current value terms, as the economy fell into recession. Sales of ovens, cooktops and furniture-covered appliances were most affected as consumers were…

Apparel and footwear specialists recorded moderate value sales growth in 2023. A positive impact on the channel is the rapidly changing fashion that drives the sale of fast fashion, and even the visible trend of ultra-fast fashion, where consumers…

While apparel and footwear specialists in New Zealand saw retail current value sales growth over 2023, the overall performance of the category reflected differences in the year. In the first half of the year, retail current value sales remained…

Apparel and footwear specialists continued to record single-digit growth in current value terms in 2023 as the category continued on the path to recovery. Despite this sales remained lower than pre-pandemic levels as elevated inflation and a sharp…

The slowdown in the economy has not hit apparel and footwear specialists in Finland as hard as grocery retailers. Pent-up demand for clothing purchases since the pandemic, especially to wear at parties and celebrations, has sustained sales growth in…

After a year of minimal current value growth in 2022, when consumers limited their trips outside the home due to COVID-19 outbreaks, vending saw a strong increase in its growth rate in China in 2023. A double-digit rise was seen in value sales –…

In 2023, consumer footfall in terms of shopping and commuting returned to near pre-pandemic levels, providing a further boost for vending in Australia. Local consumers are now regularly commuting for work and school purposes once again. Although…

Supermarkets saw moderate growth in current value terms in China in 2023. Consumer confidence is yet to pick up significantly in China, as economic uncertainty lingers in the country. Many supermarkets are also struggling with quality control,…

Although supermarkets in Australia recorded marginally lower growth in 2023 compared to 2022, it was still a solid performance by the channel. The elevated inflation rates and cost-of-living expenses resulted in high prices for basic essentials and…

Small local grocers in China includes a broad range of outlet types, from mom-and-pop stores to wet markets. After a year of significant decline in 2022, small local grocers returned to growth in 2023. This was mainly due to the end of COVID-19…

A culturally diverse population means that the landscape of small local grocers in Australia is rich with variety, with local shops sourcing products from around the world. This means that many small local grocers sell products which consumers…

Retail in China maintained current value growth in 2023. In early December 2022, the Chinese government announced “New Ten Measures” to optimise COVID-19 prevention, and it cancelled the zero-COVID policy. The whole country saw an end to…

Retail in Australia had to navigate a complex landscape in 2023, marked by a series of challenges, most notably the cost-of-living crisis stemming from rising interest rates and increased energy bills. These factors squeezed consumers' discretionary…

Robust growth continued for retail e-commerce in China in 2023, although the rate of current value increase was slower than seen in previous years. Retail sales were driven by strong performances for drinks and tobacco e-commerce, and for home…

Despite an overall slowdown in sales growth by e-commerce in Australia in 2023, especially by specialists, direct-to-consumer (DTC) models have gained popularity in the fashion industry as players sought to optimise their channel strategies and…

Despite seeing a halt to the decline in outlet numbers in 2023, hypermarkets continued its long-standing decline in retail current value terms in China in 2023. One driver of the fall in sales is that the channel is under intense competition from…

Spending among local consumers was significant throughout 2022 following the easing of pandemic-related lockdowns, resulting in greater footfall in stores, particularly benefiting hypermarkets in Australia. However, the cost-of-living crisis had a…

The sales of home products specialists were hit hard in China during the different waves of the pandemic, especially in 2020 and 2022, as consumers tightened their belts when it came to non-essential products, foot traffic reduced in stores, some…

Following several years of fluctuating performances, home products specialists in Australia recorded low, but positive, current value growth in 2023. Supply chains and logistics were thrown into chaos during the pandemic, creating a number of…

In 2023, overall health and beauty specialists saw a steady increase in current value terms and in terms of outlet numbers compared with 2022 in China. Positive current value growth was achieved across all channels, including pharmacies, despite the…

Pharmacies in Australia maintained their position as the primary source of health products for local consumers in 2023. This position is despite supermarkets such as Coles and Woolworths expanding their product ranges to include medication. However,…

After seeing a notable decline in value sales in 2022 during the waves of COVID-19 across the country, when many consumers lost confidence in spending on non-essential durable goods, general merchandise stores saw a moderate rebound in its sales in…

Value sales via department stores in Australia notably slowed in 2023 compared to the previous year’s double-digit growth, ensuring they remained below pre-pandemic levels as the rising cost of living impacted consumers’ disposable incomes.…

Robust growth momentum was seen for discounters in China in 2023, with increases in both current value terms and in outlet numbers. This was driven by increasing economic uncertainty in the country, which led more Chinese consumers to seek products…

Discounters in Australia continued to perform well in 2023, as inflation in the country reached as high as 7-8% for groceries and the lack of wage increases left local consumers struggling to pay for essentials. This scenario encouraged an increasing…

Several years of current value decline were seen in direct selling in China during the pandemic, as the direct selling business model relies heavily on hosting meetings or gatherings to introduce products and recruit new sales personnel, which was…

Compared to the double-digit growth experienced the previous year, direct selling in Australia recorded a more subdued performance in 2023, facing greater competition from e-commerce, with local consumers continuing to be attracted to the many…

Even after seeing strong performances throughout the pandemic years, convenience retailers maintained its growth momentum in current value terms in China in 2023, with growth in outlet numbers also continuing. Even as the pandemic eased, consumers…

In early May 2023, the local operator of 7-Eleven (7-Eleven Stores Pty Ltd), the leading brand of convenience retailers in Australia, released a statement saying that the chain will be up for sale, including over 700 outlets across the country. The…

In 2023, sales of consumer appliances and consumer electronics saw solid growth in China, thanks to the end of the pandemic, and the “Old for new”, and “Subsidies for green and energy-saving household appliances” policies. However, despite this, and…

In 2023, appliances and electronics specialists in Australia continued to record a positive performance, with offline shopping making a complete recovery from the pandemic's impact. The renewed focus for many players in the channel was on creating…

After a year of significant decline in 2022 due to pandemic restrictions, in 2023 apparel and footwear specialists continued to see a slight fall in current value sales in China, despite the lifting of restrictions. With the end of the pandemic,…

Following two consecutive years of double-digit value growth, apparel and footwear specialists in Australia had to navigate a complex landscape in 2023. The year was marked by a series of challenges, most notably the cost-of-living crisis stemming…

Vending saw dynamic current value growth in Greece in 2023, though sales remained far below the level seen in 2021. Vending in Greece declined dramatically after the closure of ThesGala-Pies Cooperative’s fresh milk vending machines, which had…

Supermarkets saw value growth in Greece in 2023. Players in the channel expand their networks mainly through acquisitions, primarily focusing on the acquisition of small local chains in order to open stores all over Greece. Smaller chains were hit…

While small local grocers saw current value growth in Greece in 2023, the channel’s expansion was less rapid than that seen in other areas of grocery retailing. Grocery stores that specialise in Asian, Mexican and other ethnic cuisines did see an…

Retail faced notable challenges in Greece in 2023. Inflation was - and continues to be - very high and prices were constantly rising. Retailers, regardless of industry, were forced to raise their prices as they could not absorb the increases in the…

Retail e-commerce saw more modest current value growth in Greece in 2023, following three consecutive years of double-digit expansion. The fact that the penetration rate of e-commerce in many categories was relatively low by Western European…

The hypermarkets channel saw value sales rise in Greece in 2023. Hypermarkets are evolving into small shopping centres. Their construction with escalators, their huge parking lots and the variety of products on offer are reminiscent of a shopping…

The home products specialists channel registered current value growth in Greece in 2023. During the year, Leroy Merlin, the third largest brand in home products specialists overall, inaugurated its first Naterial store, a showroom that offers the…

Health and beauty specialists saw current value growth in Greece in 2023. Players in the channel are working hard to differentiate their offers and adapt to evolving market trends. The Body Shop launched a store in Athens that is sustainably designed…

General merchandise stores saw continued current value growth in Greece in 2023. Many brands continue to invest heavily in traditional advertising, such as through television, since it still manages to target consumers aged above 40 years old who…

The discounters channel saw an upward trend in Greece throughout the review period, which continued in 2023. The challenging economic conditions and high rate of inflation prevailing towards the end of the review period served to bolster consumer…

Direct selling saw sales fall significantly in Greece in 2023. Since direct selling requires not only sales and interpersonal skills, but also strategic thinking, Oriflame decided to start blogging about how people can use direct sales techniques to…

Convenience retailers witnessed growth in Greece in 2023 as more and more people visited their stores for their daily purchases. This trend started during the COVID-19 crisis, when consumers procured essential goods from nearby stores, and now it has…

Following Olympia’s EUR50 million investment in Public, which left Olympia owning 98% of the Public-Media Markt venture in Greece and Cyprus, the Media Markt stores have been rebranded Public + home and specialise in white appliances. Consequently,…

Apparel and footwear specialists saw current value growth in 2023. Inflation and continued price increases have been driving more and more consumers into the second-hand market, which is gradually gaining ground in Greece. Recently, the Bulgarian…

Value sales continued to be modest for vending in Turkey in 2023. There are a limited number of vending machines, mainly located in the underground stations in Istanbul and Ankara, with snacks and soft drinks being the most popular products sold…

Grocery retailers are coming under pressure and have seen their turnover threatened by decreasing volume sales and increased competition from other grocery players and other players. As a result, they are looking for other ways to invest and increase…