Retailing in Belgium continued to register positive growth in 2016 and 2017 despite a relatively difficult climate. While industries such as consumer foodservice and travel and tourism were the most affected by terrorist attacks, retailing also faced difficulties as high streets in Brussels were closed or quieter than usual, especially in 2016. Consumers’ rising disposable incomes and retailers’ ongoing efforts to attract customers ... Read more
In 2017, consumer confidence remained high in Germany in spite of political uncertainty, supported by a stable economic climate. Unemployment continued to remain low, resulting in an increase in spending as more money found its way into households and boosted consumers’ disposable incomes. In turn, this positively affected the performance of retailing. Retailers took advantage of this situation by focusing on offering competitive prices, a variety of ... Read more
After December 2016, the premier’s resignation and change in government team determined a slowdown in consumer confidence, as the country seemed to be on the way to another period of political instability. The new premier continued on the path of his predecessor, nonetheless most important political and economic reforms were halted. Youth unemployment remains high, and wages are often much lower in Italy than in other countries for like-for-like jobs. ... Read more
Despite economic challenges for Saudi Arabia between 2015 and 2016, and reduced consumer purchasing power, retailing posted a stable value performance in 2017. Economic slowdown emerged due to lower global oil prices that Saudi Arabia relies heavily upon for government revenues. In response, the government reduced the salaries of ministers and other public sector employees by 20%, as austerity measures aimed at lowering the deficit. In July 2017, ... Read more
Sales in traditional retailers are being negatively affected by the continued strong increase in internet retailing. Physical retailing has been characterised by the closure of many unprofitable outlets and the reduction in store sizes to ensure profitability. This is expected to continue over the forecast period, as internet retailing continues to increase. Consumers enjoy the ability to purchase products directly from their home. As international ... Read more
In line most retailers’ expectations in the country, 2017 continued to be impacted by lower oil prices, regional and global macroeconomic factors impacting consumer confidence and expenditure patterns. Whilst many retailers report that growth tends to pick up during the last quarter of the year, mid-year months such as June and August were highly unsatisfactory. Further, key retail seasons such as Ramadan and back to school aligned across the same time ... Read more
While sales stagnated in Denmark in 2017, the grocery retailing landscape saw an ongoing shift in its profile. Discounters continued to expand as consumer price-sensitivity persisted despite improving economic conditions, while hypermarkets suffered most prominently from the trend towards local shopping and increasing online competition. In non-grocery retailing, electronics and appliance specialist retailers and apparel and footwear specialist ... Read more
The Moroccan economy is positively progressing. The GDP of the country witnessed an increase of 4.1% in the first quarter of 2017, compared to the same period in 2016 due to the agriculture sector. The consumer price index has gradually increased to 0.3% in the second quarter of 2017 compared to 2016. Growth was mainly attributable to the 1% increase of the non-food products price index and the decrease of 0.7% of food products’ prices. The average ... Read more
The sustained strong economy in the Philippines led to an increase in consumer spending, which was felt across all retail channels. 2017 was a good year for retailing in the Philippines, as the majority of key players increased their outlets and sales, brands emerged to provide more options for Filipinos, and companies continued to improve the shopping experience, with a special focus on convenience. Retailers also benefited from more frequent shopper ... Read more
Retailing in Romania in 2017 was supported by the country’s strong economy, which recorded solid growth for the third consecutive year. This translated into rising disposable incomes and increased consumer confidence, in turn leading to a rise in spending and overall consumption. Indeed, Romania registered the strongest GDP growth in the European Union in the first and second quarters of 2017, according to Eurostat. However, there remain significant ... Read more
In 2017, the Georgian lari again encountered a few waves of devaluation against the US dollar and the euro. Georgian retailing, being quite dependent on imports, was affected by a devalued local currency, but not as much as in previous years when the first shocks of devaluation were encountered. Importers and local producers started to adapt to the new value of the Georgian currency, with Georgian retailing posting current value growth in 2017, but ... Read more
Retailing sales enjoyed a noteworthy improvement in France in 2017 for several reasons. First, 2% GDP growth in the economy, a significant reduction in the national deficit, and improvement in consumer confidence were good signs for 2017 retailing sales. The disastrous, footfall-reducing effect of terrorist attacks in Paris and Nice in 2015-2016 was a more distant memory in 2017, when tourists massively returned to Parisian department stores. In ... Read more
Retailing sales enjoyed a noteworthy improvement in France in 2017 for several reasons. First, 2% GDP growth in the economy, a significant reduction in the national deficit, and improvement in consumer confidence were good signs for 2017 retailing sales. The disastrous, footfall-reducing effect of terrorist attacks in Paris and Nice in 2015-2016 was a more distant memory in 2017, when tourists massively returned to Parisian department stores. In ... Read more
Retailing registered steady growth in India in 2017. One of the key demands from consumers in 2017 was seamlessness in their shopping experience. From 2015, omnichannel retailing became a common practice amongst most retailers. The primary reason why omnichannel retailing became popular was consumers’ need to have the convenience to choose the channel, irrespective of the retailer. In 2017, consumers went one step further, whereby seamlessness in the ... Read more
In line most retailers’ expectations in the country, 2017 continued to be impacted by lower oil prices, regional and global macroeconomic factors impacting consumer confidence and expenditure patterns. Whilst many retailers report that growth tends to pick up during the last quarter of the year, mid-year months such as June and August were highly unsatisfactory. Further, key retail seasons such as Ramadan and back to school aligned across the ... Read more
