Western Europe

Writing instruments occupy a modest share of the overall personal accessories market in Switzerland, thus exerting minimal influence on the sector. In 2023, the category witnessed stagnant growth in value terms, with a slight decline in volume sales…

The Swiss market for traditional and connected watches, renowned globally for its high-quality timepieces, is undergoing an evolution characterised by an expanding interest in various watch types, transcending the boundaries of luxury. A notable…

The interest and demand for personal accessories in Switzerland, encompassing bags and luggage, jewellery, traditional and connected watches, and writing instruments, were poised to remain robust in 2023. However, following two years of robust growth…

Building on the positive momentum from the previous year, jewellery in Switzerland witnessed dynamic growth in 2023, led by the growing demand for costume jewellery. This trend, reminiscent of 2022, underscored shifting consumer preferences towards…

In 2023, bags and luggage witnessed a stagnant performance in terms of value sales growth in Switzerland, coupled with a slight decline in demand. Although demand remained robust compared to pre-pandemic levels, there was a slight dip from the…

As consumers could finally travel, and return to workplaces and educational establishments, bags and luggage has continued on the recovery path that started in 2022. Despite a higher cost of living, which brought some expected conservativeness to…

In 2022, prices continued the steady rise that started before the pandemic, with significant increases since then, mainly driven by soaring energy costs. The recovery from the pandemic was slow, due to several COVID-19 variants affecting schools and…

In 2023, analogue quartz watches took a prominent position in Germany’s market, seamlessly integrating traditional craftsmanship with technological advances. These timepieces blend classic aesthetics with up-to-date design elements, particularly…

Personal accessories faced slow growth in 2023, due to economic uncertainty. Consumer confidence revived somewhat towards the end of the year, but spending is expected to remain constrained, due to the global financial and labour crises. Hybrid and…

After 2022 saw double-digit growth in jewellery sales in Germany, 2023 showed signs of a slowdown. Among the drivers that led to a revival in the jewellery industry in 2022 were a renewed sense of freedom to socialise and enjoy life after two years…

Technological advances in 2024 will continue to reshape consumer behaviour. This annual report explores the top five digital shopper trends that will redefine commerce the most in the year ahead. Some of the trends included in this report’s edition…

Spain’s birth rate continues to fall with couples having fewer children, starting a family a later in life or even choosing not to have children at all. According to the latest data published by the National Statistics Institute (INE), Spain’s birth…

Sales of traditional watches saw a strong recovery in 2021 as COVID-19 restrictions were eased and there was a partial recovery in demand. This positivity was short lived, however, with the global economy being plunged into uncertainty in 2022…

2023 saw a return to relative normality in Spain with the World Health Organisation declaring the health crisis to be over. All COVID-19 related restrictions had been lifted by July 2023 which helped to boost consumer confidence and resulted in…

Jewellery witnessed slower growth in retail volume terms in 2023 compared to 2022 with sales remaining well below pre-pandemic levels. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 the price of food and energy has risen sharply, while most…

After a strong recovery in 2021 as Spain started to ease its COVID-19 restrictions demand has since slowed considerably with sales of bags and luggage seeing only a moderate recovery in retail volume terms in 2022 while in 2023 sales stagnated. The…

There is an ongoing shift from unbranded and counterfeit products towards recognised brands, driven by increased parental awareness of the potential health risks associated with generic and unbranded items. This shift indicates a growing preference…

Writing instruments saw a decline in volume terms in 2023, following the sluggish performance of the previous year. While writing instruments remain essential in schools, they are less used in offices and universities. As technology involves,…

Before the onset of COVID-19, the industry raced ahead, promoting swift turnover in consumer choices. However, in the post-COVID era, a shift has occurred towards a slower, more thoughtful approach. Consumers are now leaning towards timeless pieces…

Traditional and connected watches registered a marked slowdown in growth in current value terms in 2023, when set against the previous two years, which saw sales bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic. Value growth was driven largely by inflation and…