Retailing

In 2023, direct selling in Germany continued on its growth trajectory, albeit at a steadier pace compared to the spike during the pandemic. The channel's success is largely attributed to its effective digital transformation and the adoption of a…

Direct selling was unexpectedly successful in France around the time of pandemic. Initially facing a downturn in early 2020, it rebounded in 2021. Though the overall category has slumped again in 2023, continuing 2022’s downward trend, this fall was…

Direct selling has always been a marginal retail channel in Finland, and has in recent years seen a clear decrease – sales fell in 2023 for the seventh year in a row in current value terms. Even more worryingly, direct selling underperformed…

Direct selling continued to see declining sales in Denmark in 2023. This was partly due to consumers trying to spend less money as they felt the impact of rising interest rates and higher energy prices, but also due to the competition from other…

Direct selling in Belgium registered a decline in sales in current value terms in 2023. This was mainly due to inflationary pressures, which led consumers to become more conservative with their spending. With a growing focus on value-for-money…

Just like retail as a whole, direct selling saw significant growth in value sales in 2023, but it was entirely price-driven as inflation remained at unusually high levels for a second consecutive year. Given the focus of direct selling in Austria on…

Technological advances are creating unprecedented change across consumer-facing industries. The Digital Consumer Survey, fielded in March and April, offers insight into the pace and depth of this evolution, tracking consumer behaviour, attitudes,…

Departments stores registered a rebound after outlet closures during the 2020 lockdowns. With stores operating at normal capacity, current values sales registered a healthy increase. However, value sales were still lower than before the onset of…

Convenience stores recovered with positive growth in retail value terms in 2021, following the sharp decline in value sales in 2020, when shops were forced to operate reduced opening hours or stay closed. All the same, as many convenience stores are…

In 2023, convenience stores registered significant value growth in Turkey, driven in part by a significant number of new outlets opening. The compact size of these stores made it easier to find suitable locations and their widespread presence in…

Despite price increases as a result of inflation that continued to drive the local population to adopt more conscious spending patterns in 2023, convenience retailers in the UK maintained a positive trajectory during the year as proximity and…

Convenience stores in city centre locations saw steady growth in current value terms in 2023 with this being driven by various factors. First, with the pandemic over consumers spent less time working from home than during the height of the health…

Convenience retailers in Switzerland remained popular in 2023, partly due to their extended opening hours, since many stay open 24/7 or at least operate late hours. In addition, wide store networks across easily accessible locations with high…

Historically high inflation rates created huge challenges for convenience retailers in Sweden towards the end of the review period. As consumers started to plan their purchases more carefully and show a preference for discounters and large format…

Convenience retailers benefited from the lifting of the remaining COVID-19 restrictions and the opening of new outlets across Spain. There was also increased foot traffic in urban areas driven by the rise in tourism which supported the growth of…

Following a strong performance during COVID-19, in 2023, sales for convenience retailers in Portugal continued to rise, driven by high inflation levels and nationwide outlet expansion. Sales and outlet growth in convenience stores has been at the…

The twin challenges of high inflation and heightened competition continue to impact the performance of convenience retailers in Norway, only prolonging its recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Convenience stores and forecourt retailers…

The geopolitical developments of 2022 and 2023 have had a big impact on retail in Italy. Russia's war in Ukraine continued in 2023 with no sign of resolution at the time of writing, while the emergence of further instability in other parts of the…