Retailing

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,…

Retail in Kenya continued to expand in 2022, with new stores opening while there was increased footfall at brick and mortar stores. However, not all modern retailers are finding success in Kenya, with some players being forced to exit the market.…

Kazakhstan has strong trade links with Russia in particular and its war in Ukraine negatively impacted the economy and led to high inflation. While skyrocketing international oil and gas prices boosted the local economy, its usual outflow to the…

Retail in 2022: The big picture

Retail maintained solid current value growth in Japan in 2023, with increases across both offline and e-commerce. In 2023, offline retail regained stronger momentum due to the return of mobility post-COVID-19. On 8 May 2023, the Japanese government…

High inflation rates continued to negatively affect producers, distributors, and most importantly consumers in 2023, despite inflation being slightly more stable than in the previous year. Indeed, as issues in the supply chain, logistical space, and…

Retail in Israel in 2023 was affected by the political and economic panorama in the country, as the war continues. Inflation remained high and mortgages became much more expensive, with significant hikes in monthly repayments for homeowners. Added to…

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…

Iraq’s retail industry has continued to expand and develop during the post-pandemic era, with buoyant global oil prices, rising levels of FDI and substantial improvements in retailing infrastructure amidst booming post-conflict redevelopment all…

Retail saw current value growth in Indonesia in 2023. More premium orientated retailers saw particularly strong performances, as their core consumer base was less severely impacted by the economic difficulties seen at the end of the review period.…

The retail industry showed dynamic current value growth in India in 2023, driven by conducive macroeconomic factors, as well as the full return of mobility and travel after the end of the pandemic. The strong performance in 2023 can be attributed to…

Retail in Hungary continued to be influenced by inflationary factors in 2023, with the double-digit hikes continuing (and even increasing from) the previous year. Moreso, Hungary is reported to be experiencing one of the highest sets of hikes across…

Retail saw another year of solid current value growth in Hong Kong in 2023. However, the increase was mainly due to the low base, and sales were unable to recover to the 2018 level – pre-pandemic and protests. Nevertheless, benefiting from the…

Retailing in Honduras continued to recover in 2022 in the wake of the pandemic. The industry proved highly resilient despite inflation and high levels of poverty in the country. Modern grocery retailers continued to make inroads due to their…

The retail sector in Guatemala continued to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, although at a slower pace than in 2021. Despite this, it still grew at a rate higher than inflation. The buoyancy of the retail sector was largely driven by…

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…

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…

In 2023, retail in Germany displayed resilience amid challenging economic conditions, with varying performances across different channels. While inflationary pressures continued to influence consumer spending patterns, a gradual stabilisation in the…