General Merchandise Stores

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 sales via department stores in Australia notably slowed in 2023 compared to the previous year’s double-digit growth, ensuring they remained below pre-pandemic levels as the rising cost of living impacted consumers’ disposable incomes.…

In line with global trends, department stores in Malaysia are losing appeal due to growing interest in fast-fashion retailers such as H&M, Zara, Uniqlo, and Padini which offer the latest fashions at relatively affordable prices. Small boutique stores…

General merchandise stores maintained dynamic double-digit current value growth in India in 2023, and finally saw the recovery of its sales to the pre-pandemic level. Growth was also seen in outlet numbers, which rose to over 4,000 stores, all of…

General merchandise stores recorded dynamic double-digit growth in current value terms in 2022 with department stores and variety stores both seeing elevated sales. This performance was backed by a renewed sense of optimism as concerns around the…

Variety stores in Finland witnessed a stellar performance in 2023, with current value growth reaching double-digits. Providing a wide offering of cheap products, variety stores have proved attractive to consumers in the economic downturn, as these…

General merchandise stores saw continued current value growth in Greece in 2023. Many brands continue to invest heavily in traditional advertising, such as through television, since it still manages to target consumers aged above 40 years old who…

General merchandise stores recorded a decline in sales in Switzerland in 2023, mainly as a result of the performance of department stores, which are often considered outdated and old-fashioned and are increasingly being replaced by shopping malls and…

In 2023, general merchandise stores in Romania were represented in totality by variety stores. However, variety stores is an underdeveloped retail channel, which remains unfamiliar to most local consumers. Variety stores have never really developed…

Having seen solid growth in the previous year as the channel seemed to be recovering from the severe impact of the COVID-19 crisis, general merchandise stores saw sales decline again in Denmark in 2023. This came before the channel had returned to…

General merchandise stores in Belgium registered a slight decline in sales in current value terms in 2023, despite ongoing price rises. This was primarily due to the negative performance of department stores, which suffered from competition from…

After seeing a notable decline in value sales in 2022 during the waves of COVID-19 across the country, when many consumers lost confidence in spending on non-essential durable goods, general merchandise stores saw a moderate rebound in its sales in…

The general merchandise stores channel in Peru includes department stores and variety stores, as both are characterised by selling a wide range of non-food products and to which consumers turn to buy various items in the same place, and to look for…

General merchandise stores continued to tap into changing consumer demand trends in Canada in 2023. High interest rates coupled with a persistently high rate of inflation caused Canadian consumers to change their shopping habits towards the end of…

Muted performance for general merchandise in 2023

The competitive landscape of general merchandise stores in Argentina witnessed significant disruption towards the end of the review period as Falabella closed its stores and left the country. As a result, the Mexican enterprise Coppel was the only…

In 2023, department stores benefited from a rebound in the number of tourists visiting Japan and the depreciation of the yen. Although it lagged somewhat behind other countries, Japan finally lifted COVID-19 regulations in 2023. As for the recovery…

General merchandise stores struggled in Israel in 2023, due to decreased footfall in the areas where these stores are located. This is due to the ongoing geopolitical unrest in the country, with many consumers re-embracing e-commerce platforms as…

Within general merchandise stores in Sweden, similar to discounters in grocery retailers, variety stores’ positioning engendered robustness despite the difficult and unpredictable geopolitical and economic times. The main focus of the key players in…

In 2023, values sales of general merchandise stores in Chile, solely represented by department stores, declined for a second consecutive year. Reduced spending power and the important impact of e-commerce operations of the retailers present in the…