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…

Convenience retailers in New Zealand continued to see retail current value sales growth in 2023; however, this was supported by inflationary pressures driving up unit prices of grocery products. While fuel costs stabilised following an initial shock…

Convenience stores recorded slower value dynamics than overall retail in 2023. Higher prices in this channel stimulated a consumer shift towards discounters and supermarkets. The situation in the market favoured retail chains that can afford to offer…

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…

2023 was the first year since 2019 in which direct selling in New Zealand was not subject to social, trading or movement restrictions. These limitations had adversely impacted the trading ability of direct selling companies earlier in the review…

In 2023, direct selling registered marginal growth in retail value sales. After a decline in 2022, direct selling returned to positive if marginal growth. The cost-of-living crisis proved beneficial for the industry as more people sought to be hired…

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…

Discounters recorded double-digit value sales growth in 2023. Discounters are successful thanks to convenient locations and a wide range of goods, including groceries, clothing, electronics, household items and beauty and personal care in one place.…

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…

General merchandise stores in New Zealand posted slight retail current value growth, but declines in real terms, in 2023. Closed borders and a relatively stable economy, compared with the global situation, supported discretionary spending levels as…

In 2023, general merchandise stores recorded strong current value sales growth. Much of this stemmed from the strong performance of variety stores, which in keeping with its performance throughout the review period, recorded high double-digit growth…

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…

Health and beauty specialists in New Zealand continued to post strong growth in unit prices in an inflationary climate in 2023, which spurred fast retail current value sales growth. However, this was somewhat offset by reductions in consumers’…

In 2023, health and beauty specialists recorded strong growth in value sales. This channel has thus far been relatively resistant to the rising cost crisis in the country. This is influenced by its wide range of products and rapid response to the…

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…

Home products specialists saw healthy growth in current value terms in 2023 albeit this was largely due to the impact of inflation rather than a significant increase in demand. Consumers continued to invest in their domestic spaces in 2023 with this…