Retailing

Direct selling saw little movement in its value sales in current terms in South Korea in 2023, with just a slight decline seen. In April 2023, a legal shift unfolded, permitting sponsored direct sellers to engage in non-face-to-face transactions…

Convenience retailers maintained dynamic growth in current value terms and in terms of outlet numbers in South Korea in 2023. The number of convenience retailers surpassed 50,000 in 2021, and this figure increased to nearly 60,000 in 2023. The…

Appliances and electronics specialists maintained its long-standing decline in outlet numbers in South Korea in 2023, and although it returned to growth in current value terms, this only made a small dent in the losses experienced since 2019. The…

Outlet numbers in apparel and footwear specialists in South Korea remained fairly static in 2023, after several years of decline. Meanwhile, although sales failed to return to anywhere near the pre-pandemic level in current value terms, they…

Vending saw strong growth in current value terms in Saudi Arabia in 2023 with the category still seen to have further growth potential. New opportunities are arising from the increase in tourism and the development of new shopping and entertainment…

Vending sales slumped in 2023 in Ireland, compared to a better performance seen in 2022. This is attributed to the inflationary environment leading to low consumer spending power, as well as a normalisation effect following the uptick seen in 2022 as…

Consumers are becoming more health-conscious and are seeking healthier food options. Supermarkets in Saudi Arabia are looking to respond to this by offering a wider range of organic, natural, and locally sourced products. They are also providing more…

Supermarkets was facing some ongoing challenges in Ireland in 2023, following on from the change in consumer behaviour which was seen both during the era of the pandemic and also currently, due to the cost-of-living crisis. Similarly to hypermarkets,…

Small local grocers continue to face strong competition from modern grocery retailers and e-commerce. This is because modern grocery retailers such as supermarkets and hypermarkets look to provide a wide variety of products under one roof and use…

Sales in small local grocers start to creep up again in Ireland in 2023. However, some challenges remain, as this channel also faces competition from other retail options. Whilst small local grocers tend to offer proximity convenience to consumers,…

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 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 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 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…

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…

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 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…

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 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,…

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,…