Department Stores

Tesco Stores, the only remaining the department store player in Slovakia, closed its doors in 2019. Tesco department stores faced fierce competition from more popular shopping centres. In addition, the growing number of convenience stores and…

Home confinement and remote working as a result of the pandemic in Portugal changed consumers’ behaviour in 2020. This was reflected in the performance of the dominant department store chain El Corte Inglés (in value sales terms). The retailer…

The retail current value sales of department stores plunged by around a fifth during both 2020 and 2021. Department stores operators were particularly hit hard by COVID-19, particularly during the lockdowns, when they were forced to temporary close…

Due to the national lockdown and ongoing social distancing in response to COVID-19, department stores experienced a strong decline in current value sales in 2021. During the lockdown which began in June, the channel was deemed non-essential and…

Department stores continues to play only a minor role in retailing in Austria in 2021 with most consumers favouring shopping centres instead. Steffl in Vienna and Kastner & Öhler Warenhaus’ flagship store in Graz remain the only department stores in…

With Debenhams Retail Plc’s eponymous brand exiting the country in 2018, Sofia Department Stores OOD’s Notosgalleries now operates the only department store outlet in Bulgaria. Pandemic restrictions and the economic shock of COVID-19 hit…

The concept of department stores was already losing favour with Polish consumers prior to the emergence of COVID-19, who increasingly perceived the channel to be outdated. Local consumers increasingly appreciate shopping at specialist stores with…

After a challenging year in 2020 when department stores witnessed declining sales, the channel registered a positive performance in 2021. The pandemic led to the introduction of various restrictions to control the spread of the virus including a…

In 2021, the value sales of department stores remained significantly below the 2019 level, posting only a relatively limited recovery, particularly when compared with other store-based channels. This is due to the performance of Galeria Karstadt…

Department stores in Israel was already posting declining sales and closing outlets prior to the pandemic, as operators in the channel have failed to reinvent themselves and are therefore increasingly perceived as outdated. These stores also tend to…

Department stores saw a small decline in value sales terms in 2021. This was mostly due to the mandatory closure of department stores for three and a half months at the start of the year due to a new wave of COVID-19 infections.

Department stores continued to suffer from an identity crisis in Finland in 2021 having lost their place in the world slightly in the face of growing cross-category competition. In addition to the bankruptcy of the Anttila chain, the channel…

Having plunged by more than a fifth during 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions, the retail constant value sales (2021 prices) of department stores rebounded strongly in 2021, exceeding their pre-pandemic peak. The fact that the number of department…

Department stores recorded improving sales in 2021, an uptick considering the steep decline of 2020. However, retail value sales were steadily declining over the review period. Worldwide, there was explosive growth for luxury goods and products with…

Even before the outbreak of COVID-19, department stores had been under pressure with the channel losing sales to other retailing channels and e-commerce. The decline continued in 2020 as the first national lockdown in April resulted in significantly…

Department stores saw a notable current value decline in 2020, due to temporary outlet closures as a result of the pandemic, as well as consumer caution in spending on non-essentials. However, the channel showed dynamic recovery in 2021, far…

Even though players were less pessimistic towards the end of 2021 than they were during the first six months of the year, department stores remained one of the most negatively affected channels within store-based retailing from the pandemic over…

Department stores in Belgian is a small category, with only two players, Hudson's Bay Co and Sogesma SA. Following a very negative 2020 due to stores closures, and mobility and social life restrictions, the channel recovered partially in 2021 thanks…

Falabella remained the leader in department stores in 2021, with only much smaller players as competition. In general, therefore, the evolution of department stores in Colombia has been greatly driven by the performance of the leader, Falabella. One…

In 2021, the number COVID-19 cases continued to surge, especially mid-year, recording the highest number of cases in August. Consumers continued to be secluded at home for most of the year, refraining from unnecessary outings. Furthermore, travel…