Retailing

Supermarkets continued to face strong competition from discounters in Denmark in 2023, as many consumers looked to save on their grocery shopping due to the financial impact of higher energy prices and increasing interest rates. On the other side,…

The performance of supermarkets in Egypt is positively impacted by the government’s “We Are All One” initiative. Introduced and monitored through the Egyptian government, the initiative aims to push retailers and suppliers to offer consumers extra…

Supermarkets in Peru felt the direct impact of the weakening economy in 2023, with current value sales declining for the second consecutive year. Since the Peruvian economy entered recession in 2023, over half of Peruvian families have been left…

In 2023, retail value growth was double-digit for supermarkets in Portugal. During the outbreak of COVID-19, supermarkets experienced a temporary increase in sales as consumers stockpiled goods – however, this placed pressure on retailers to ensure…

In 2023, supermarkets in Romania recorded double-digit retail value growth; the result of having excellent locations in crowded neighbourhoods. As such, these stores increasingly benefit from proximity while offering a broader range of products…

Although supermarkets saw modest declines across all metrics in 2023, the channel remained Switzerland's leading grocery retail channel in current value terms due to the significant store network across the country. By comparison, the number of…

Despite the increasing competition from hypermarkets and discounters, supermarkets remains by far the largest grocery retailers category in the Netherlands, with it continuing to expand its footprint in 2023. Competition in supermarkets is still…

In the last two years of the review period, a noticeable trend in supermarket chains in Turkey involves a strategic reallocation of shelf space within their outlets. There has been a deliberate reduction in the variety of items related to clothing…

Vending in Belgium saw a flat performance in current value terms in 2023, as inflationary pressures weighed on household spending. With wallets being squeezed, consumers switched to channels offering better value-for-money. This was in spite of an…

In 2023, vending in Colombia experienced slowed growth as a result of price increases and the cost-of-living crisis. Prioritising essential products, many Colombians spent less on on-the-go snacks and drinks, slowing down the category’s performance…

Vending continued to see positive growth in Denmark in 2023. However, this was largely a correction as the category saw a strong decline during the COVID-19 crisis. The fact that consumers are once again spending more time outside and exercising,…

The vending channel witnessed a better performance in 2023 as sales began to normalise in the post-pandemic era. Whilst pre-pandemic consumption levels have not yet been reached, sales are moving closer to this point. One of the limitations to growth…

Vending in Portugal in 2023 saw strong retail value growth, fuelled by the positive performance of the tobacco industry. Vending is the most important channel for the tobacco industry and represented 35% of the total volume of cigarette sales in the…

In 2023, vending in Romania showcased positive retail value growth, benefiting from the elimination of COVID-19 restrictions in March 2022. This led consumers to return to office work, with free movement outside of the home, enabling the recovery of…

Post-pandemic, consumers in Switzerland began to spend much more time outside of the home for work and leisure activities, boosting demand for on-the-go products sold through vending machines. In 2023, this trend continued, but growth was more…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries in 2024. Global inflation is moderating, although divergence among the key economies remains. Supply chain and commodities markets disruptions remain the key risks for…

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…

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,…

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…

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 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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…