General Merchandise Stores

In 2023, general merchandise stores in Portugal consist of department and variety stores, both of which continued on a strong growth path, recording double-digit retail value growth. In an economic adverse period, selling low-priced products…

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…

The general merchandise stores channel in Peru includes department stores and variety stores, as both are characterised by selling a wide range of non-food products and to which consumers turn to buy various items in the same place, and to look for…

In Norway, general merchandise stores only includes variety stores, as there are no department stores in the country. In 2020, the channel saw exceptional current value growth as consumers looked for items such as cleaning products when the pandemic…

In 2023, general merchandise stores in Nigeria faced a notable decline in sales, primarily due to shifting consumer preferences driven by high inflation. As the cost of living rose, consumers found themselves grappling with reduced purchasing power,…

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…

Morocco is embarking on a new trade strategy focused on bolstering local production and fostering job creation, signalling a transformative shift in the market. Collaborative efforts between the government and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce…

General merchandise stores, composed of department stores and variety stores, experienced dynamic growth in Mexico in current value terms in 2023. This performance can be explained by the robust outlet expansion seen during 2022 and 2023; far…

In line with global trends, department stores in Malaysia are losing appeal due to growing interest in fast-fashion retailers such as H&M, Zara, Uniqlo, and Padini which offer the latest fashions at relatively affordable prices. Small boutique stores…

In 2023, department stores benefited from a rebound in the number of tourists visiting Japan and the depreciation of the yen. Although it lagged somewhat behind other countries, Japan finally lifted COVID-19 regulations in 2023. As for the recovery…

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 struggled in Israel in 2023, due to decreased footfall in the areas where these stores are located. This is due to the ongoing geopolitical unrest in the country, with many consumers re-embracing e-commerce platforms as…

The performance of general merchandise stores in Ireland in 2023 was being supported by the positive trajectory of department stores. There was a strong rebound in department stores in 2022, following the disruptions seen during the era of the…

General merchandise stores registered current value growth in Indonesia in 2023. Since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, consumer behaviour has changed rapidly. People are getting used to purchasing products online, which has diversified their…

General merchandise stores maintained dynamic double-digit current value growth in India in 2023, and finally saw the recovery of its sales to the pre-pandemic level. Growth was also seen in outlet numbers, which rose to over 4,000 stores, all of…

General merchandise stores saw declining sales in Hungary in 2023, due to the low levels of activity in the category. It is also well consolidated, with Ecofamily (Napcsillag Kft) holding just under half of all brand share. Indeed, Ecofamily has…

General merchandise stores saw a second year of double-digit current value growth in Hong Kong in 2023, finally recovering to the pre-pandemic (2019) level of sales, after disruption due to the loss of tourist flows. Although variety stores saw…

General merchandise stores saw continued current value growth in Greece in 2023. Many brands continue to invest heavily in traditional advertising, such as through television, since it still manages to target consumers aged above 40 years old who…

Value sales of general merchandise stores in Germany rebounded in 2023, following the previous year’s decline. The latter was driven by department stores, with the channel’s sales falling by double digits due to temporary store closures. Although the…

Department stores in France has witnessed a significant post-pandemic turnaround over 2021-23, recovering from a particularly challenging 2020, which marked one of the retail market's lowest performances. The strong rebound was driven by an increase…