Retailing

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…

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…

After two years of solid growth, direct selling experienced a decline in current value terms in 2023. However, performances varied within direct selling in 2023 with some categories continuing to perform well in 2023, but especially those with a…

Discounters in Finland registered stagnant current value growth in 2023, as inflation remained high and the Finnish economy weakened. Discounters proved a more attractive choice to consumers seeking affordable brands and private label. The location…

Despite the easing of inflationary pressures in Italy over 2023, price increases and thus inflation rates remained high in the country. Therefore, price and value remained the most pressing concerns for many consumers when choosing to shop for their…

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 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…

Health and beauty specialists in Finland is the second biggest non-grocery channel in Finland and is a category of growing importance. One of the main reasons for this growth is that pharmacy products are mostly essential. A high share of overall…

Health and beauty specialists saw moderate growth in current value terms in 2023, although this was largely the result of price inflation rather than an increase in demand. When it comes to pharmacies small and independent players account for most…

In 2023, current value sales slowed in home products specialists as consumer confidence weakened and Finland entered recession. Consumers cut back expenditure on home improvements and home furnishings as household budgets were allocated to more…