Retailing

Discounters in Egypt benefited from significant company activity at the end of the review period. In April 2023, Development Partners International (DPI) announced a USD165 million equity investment in Kazyon Ltd, the UK parent of the largest…

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…

Double-digit growth was seen in discounters in Colombia in 2023, reflecting a change in the consumption habits of local consumers who are looking for more affordable options in a time of economic uncertainty and budget constraints. Discounters have…

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…

The decline of direct selling in 2023 in Romania was a continuation of the results noted in 2022. Much of this decline was due to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, which began in March 2022, and resulted in a strong uplift of consumers in…

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…

With consumers looking for greater convenience and ways to save money, direct selling in Peru has gained popularity in 2023. Affordable prices, regular promotional cycles and payment options at no extra cost are the main advantages of direct selling,…

Direct selling in Egypt has been transformed into a social commerce platform through evolving market dynamics, a significant reliance on social media platforms for news and trends and changing shopping behaviours. This shift is informed by the…

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…

In 2023, direct selling in Colombia has benefited from its ease and speed of purchase, product variety and payment options. Growth is also attributable to expansion into more remote areas of the country. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, direct…

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…

The high growth for convenience retailers in 2023 in Romania, was driven by rising interest in proximity shopping. Price growth over the level of inflation limited consumers' purchases to basic food items. Reduction of purchasing power due to…

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…

Convenience retailers in Peru saw a further improvement in outlet development during 2023, with forecourt retailers and convenience stores both expanding. After the strong rebound in value growth witnessed in 2022, current value sales contracted…

Convenience retailers in Egypt was affected by direct government efforts to support convenience stores. As the success of convenience stores is high, the government aims to stimulate new initiatives and facilitate bank loans to help local…

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.…

In 2023, value growth of convenience retailers in Colombia was supported by increasingly busy lifestyles, forcing consumers to shop little and often and increasingly buy breakfast and lunch to-go. Convenience retailers have shown agility and…

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…

Following strong growth during COVID-19, in 2023, appliances and electronics specialists in Romania registered a downward trend. For larger appliances, sales were sustained in 2023 as consumers applied for vouchers through a scrappage scheme, driving…

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…

Despite the economic slowdown, appliances and electronics specialists in Peru reported steady sales growth in 2023 supported by inflationary-led price increases. The rising cost of living and recessionary conditions have weakened purchasing power.…

Appliances and electronics specialists in Egypt saw significant new investments towards the end of the review period. Vestel, a Turkish home and professional appliances manufacturer, and Zorlu, a multinational holding company, announced plans to…

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…

In 2023, appliances and electronics specialists in Colombia were impacted by economic uncertainty and the consequent reduced consumer demand for large appliances and electronics, such as refrigerators, smartphones, and laptops. Also, the Ministry of…

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,…

Apparel and footwear specialists in Romania recorded strong, double-digit retail value growth in 2023. This positive performance is partly driven by consumers returning to physical stores, after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in March 2022. The…

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.…

Rising consumer interest in receiving a more personalised service and advice is drawing consumers into apparel and footwear specialists in Peru. Consumers value the fast service offered by these retailers, especially in contrast to department stores,…

Apparel and footwear specialists in Egypt felt the force of economic and political issues in 2023. Amid the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, high inflation, currency devaluation, import restrictions and the fallout of the war in Ukraine and…

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 experienced another successful year in 2023, with moderate current value growth as consumers resumed their pre-pandemic lifestyles. The approaches to apparel and footwear, which feature strongly in consumers’…

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…

Vending saw current value sales rise in Thailand in 2023. The country has been home to vending machines for over 20 years, but vending has recently gained ground with new brands entering the market and brining in new technology and payment systems.…

In Taiwan, traditional vending machines are giving way to smart vending solutions, leveraging advanced technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, and big data. These smart machines offer more than just snacks and…

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 was one of the better performing retail channels in Slovakia in 2023, with current value sales increasing. Convenience and on-the-go consumption drove consumer demand. While hot drinks continued to be the most popular product sold through…

2023 witnessed the full effect of the removal of pandemic-related restrictions concerning social activity and international travel, with vending in Singapore continuing to record strong growth due to greater mobility. The vending format thrives on…

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…