Retailing

Apparel and footwear is thriving in Saudi Arabia with strong demand stemming from changing fashion trends, consumer preferences, the return of religious pilgrims and tourists, the demand for quality products and government regulations. Moreover, the…

Appliances and electronics specialists saw sales plummet in Ireland in 2023, following positive growth in 2022. This slump is attributed to consumers seeing lower spending power due to inflationary pressures and the cost-of-living crisis, whereas in…

Appliances and electronics specialists in Saudi Arabia experienced steady growth in current value terms in 2023. Factors that contributed to this positive growth included increasing purchasing power, population growth and urbanisation. Furthermore,…

Inflationary pressures, notably in food, drove value growth in convenience retailers in 2023. Here we note the cost of everyday essentials, such as butter, milk, flour, and eggs. While this supports value sales due to the higher prices, retailers in…

Due in part to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy the Kingdom is experiencing accelerated population growth and internal migration toward concentrated metropolitan areas. This has presented opportunities for quality-focused convenience stores to…

Direct selling remained in a relatively steep slump in Ireland in 2023, due to strong competition from a variety of other shopping channels which offer wider ranges of goods at lower prices – both online and offline. Added to which, inflationary…

Increasing health awareness and consciousness of consumers in Saudi Arabia helped to maintain strong demand for home delivered bottled water in 2023, which is one of the leading products within direct selling. Most households in Saudi Arabia are…

Discounters maintained growth in Ireland in 2023, thanks to offering affordable goods to price-sensitive consumers. Indeed, discounters continue to expand their ranges of products, thus, to appeal to a wider range of consumers who are seeking…

Al Dukan from Dabbagh Group Holding Co Ltd remained the only player present in the discounters category in Saudi Arabia in 2023. The group focused on increasing its number of outlets in the western province of the Kingdom in 2023 with it opening a…

The performance of general merchandise stores in Ireland in 2023 was being supported by the positive trajectory of department stores. There was a strong rebound in department stores in 2022, following the disruptions seen during the era of the…

Value-oriented department stores such as Centerpoint and RedTag continued to lead the category in 2023 outperforming outlets with a more premium positioning. This was largely due to price increases with many shoppers displaying a more conservative…

Sales in health and beauty specialists slumped into a negative performance in Ireland in 2023, following a positive pattern in 2022. We note that the 2022 growth was primarily driven by the growing health and wellbeing and preventative health trends,…

The rise of e-commerce and digital platforms has transformed the retail landscape in Saudi Arabia, including when it comes to beauty specialists. Beauty specialists in Saudi Arabia have adapted to the digital age by establishing an online presence,…

Home products specialists saw stagnant growth in Ireland in 2023. This is attributed to the boom in home improvements over the pandemic lockdowns, which has since eased off. Added to which, inflationary pressures and the cost-of-living crisis are…

The overall growth of the retail market in Saudi Arabia has had a positive impact on home product specialists. As the retail market expands and evolves, there is an increasing demand for specialised professionals who can provide expert advice on home…

Hypermarkets struggled in Ireland in 2023, due to a variety of factors. One such is the fact such stores, being large in size, were strongly affected by the hikes in energy bills and associated utilities. This made it challenging for hypermarket…

The Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, acquired a 30% stake in Riyadh-based grocery store chain Tamimi Markets Company in 2023. The PIF is looking to help Tamimi Markets realise its full potential, with the aim of…

Retail e-commerce continued to stabilise in Ireland in 2023, following the significant boom seen during the era of the pandemic, when both consumers and retailers alike were forced to embrace the online channel. Whilst footfall has returned to…

Retail e-commerce in Saudi Arabia has seen huge gains with sales having more than doubled since 2019 in current value terms. This is largely attributed to the digital adoption wave and evolving shopping preferences, especially among millennials. The…

Retail in Ireland continued to be impacted by inflationary pressures and high utility costs through 2023, affecting consumers and retailers alike. That said, we did witness some easing of pressures later in the year, both in product pricing and…