Retailing

Soaring inflation, due to the continuing civil war, as well as price pressures arising from the war in Ukraine, led to consumers cutting down on discretionary spending. On top of inflation, drought further aggravated supply chain disruptions. Within…

Retail in Finland witnessed positive development in current value terms in 2023, although this was largely underpinned by retail price inflation. Grocery retailers saw a decline after a couple of years of solid growth, while non-grocery retailers…

The French overall retail market saw modest growth in terms of current value sales in 2023, which, while seemingly robust, was primarily driven by inflation and a return to normalcy following the challenging conditions and lingering effects of the…

The war in Ukraine exacted a heavy toll on Georgia’s economy with retail prices spiking in 2022. Close trade links with Russia and Georgia’s status as an emerging economy have also exerted pressure on the country’s currency, with depreciation also…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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 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.…

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 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…

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…

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 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…

Retail in 2022: The big picture

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 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.…

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,…

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…

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…

The economic crisis continues to impact the Lebanese retailing industry, with negative value growth in constant price terms seen across all categories in 2022. Consumers are spending much less than prior to the onset of the crisis, with demand…

Inflation has had an impact on consumer behaviour, leading them to become more cautious about their spending, with essential goods taking priority during 2022. Moreover, discounters serve as a major driver of retail offline, thanks to their best…

Following reopened borders and lifted restrictions in 2022, Malaysia's retail sector witnessed a surge in consumer revenge spending throughout the year. However, starting from the second quarter of 2023, the trend showed signs of decline as consumer…

After a challenging 2022 due to high inflation, retail sales in Mexico saw healthy growth for a third consecutive year in current value terms in 2023, confirming the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are far behind. In fact, based on the Consumer…

The Moroccan retail landscape is gradually modernising across all channels. Traditionally dominated by conventional channels, there has been a timid entry into digital sales. However, with increasing competition and the impact of the COVID-19…

Retail in Myanmar witnessed double-digit growth in current value terms in 2022 but this was largely driven by high inflation and the depreciation of the local currency exchange rate. Households became more price sensitive amidst declining purchasing…

The key theme in retail in New Zealand in 2023 was inflation. A major aspect in the wake of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been persistently high levels of inflation, impacting producers, distributors and supply chains, with no retail…

2023 commenced with significant challenges for retail in Nigeria, including a cash crunch in the first quarter triggered by the central bank's redesign of the local currency. This adjustment impacted many consumers in Nigeria's cash-based economy.…

The war in Ukraine had a negative impact, with the resultant energy crisis leading to high inflation and dampening volume sales somewhat. As a result, while overall retail registered a healthy increase in current value sales in 2022, constant value…

Inflationary pressures have led to stronger price competition in Norway’s retail landscape. Food price increases have been a notable issue for grocery retailers resulting in intense competition between supermarkets and discounters. Players have come…

A significant number of expats left the country after the outbreak of COVID-19 but they are now returning, with this providing a boost to retail in Oman in 2022. Consumers in Muscat are demanding greater convenience due to increasingly hectic…

In 2022, retail in Pakistan was severely impacted by the devastating floods and the economic crisis. Dwindling consumer purchasing power, supply chain disruptions, reduced agriculture output, weak lending activity by commercial banks and currency…

Retailing rebounded strongly in 2022 in a continuation of the previous year. The reopening of society and the resumption of pre-pandemic lifestyles were enabled by the rollout of vaccines and the waning of the virus, all of which reduced fears of…

Retailing in Paraguay maintained its bounce back in 2022 from the previous year after the market declined in 2020 due to the global pandemic. The full removal of COVID-19 restrictions and the rollout of vaccines facilitated a greater degree of…

Retail in Peru has experienced a sustained increase in prices since 2021, but the situation has worsened in recent years with inflation soaring and remaining high in 2023. Although local brands are well established in Peru, many of the final products…

High inflation led to a deterioration in consumer purchasing power in 2023 with many consumers who had the additional financial burden of mortgages and other loans being particularly badly affected. Instalments increased significantly as a result of…

Retail in Portugal in 2023 continued to record positive retail value growth despite consumers' loss of purchasing power. High inflation rates, combined with the return of tourism, bolstered retail value growth, which was particularly high for…

Qatar’s affluent population makes the country an attractive prospect for international retailers, especially given the popularity of shopping as a leisure activity and the preference for global brands. However, the country’s low population and the…

Grocery retailers dominate sales in 2023

Retail in Saudi Arabia continued to experience positive growth in current value terms in 2023 with the end of the pandemic and improved consumer confidence helping to encourage spending. Although the Saudi economy actually contracted in 2023 due to a…

Retail e-commerce continued to see more dynamic growth than offline retail in 2022 in current value terms with companies continuing to invest in setting up, expanding and improving their online presence. Local and international retailers have been…

Retail in Singapore has left the impact of the pandemic behind following the easing of restrictions, and has continued with resilient, albeit slower, growth in 2023. The full-scale resumption of social activities and the reopening of international…

It was a poor trading year for retail in Slovakia in 2023. With inflation still being high, as well increasing interest rates leading to higher mortgage payments, consumers felt the pinch. As such, there was only marginal growth in current value…

Retail in Slovenia is being supported by the return to out-of-home lifestyles in 2022, following the pandemic restrictions which stretched into 2021. Retail e-commerce is the big winner, as this channel was notably enhanced by the era of the pandemic…

In 2023, the retail landscape in South Africa remained challenged by the operating environment, translating into slow economic growth, which left unemployment at a relatively high level. As inflation remained above the South African Reserve Bank…

In 2023, retail in South Korea maintained solid current value growth both online and offline, with growth also returning to outlet numbers in the offline space. Value increases were seen across most channels, although growth in outlet numbers was…