Retailing

Cities are hubs for spending, with 80% of expenditure expected to be generated by urban areas in 2023. Spending growth in 2023 will, however, be sluggish, as cost of living challenges force consumers to be more conservative in their expenditure. Over…

Consumers are facing increased pressure from rising prices as global inflation reaches 7% in 2023. The impact of higher costs of living is felt from top earners in developed markets to struggling households in emerging and developing countries.…

Businesses globally face challenges in consumer markets in the short to medium term, owing to the rising cost of living and increasingly financially cautious consumers. Amidst uncertainty arise opportunities. Income and expenditure insights are…

In the upcoming years, consumers and businesses face an array of challenges, with rising income inequality being among the key ones. Nevertheless, addressing the income inequality through catering to the Bottom of the Pyramid and the Middle Class…

Rising costs of living pose challenges globally, but companies can find opportunities in several categories, essential and discretionary, especially in underpenetrated fast-growing markets. By considering category adjacencies and focusing on value,…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries in Q4 2023 and 2024. Global inflation is moderating, although divergence remains among the key economies. Higher volatility in the energy markets and disruption of…

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…

The leading player in apparel and footwear specialists, Fast Retailing, has been focusing on experiences in its stores. Having both an offline and online presence, the retailer aims to differentiate its physical stores by providing customers with…

Yodobashi partnered with Fortress Investment Group in the acquisition of the department store brands Seibu and Sogo from Seven & i Holdings Co Ltd, and is hoping to establish a new store in Ikebukuro. Ikebukuro is one of the largest towns in Japan,…

On 8 May 2023, the Japanese government announced that it would reclassify COVID-19 as a class 5 infectious disease, which is the same classification as seasonal flu. This shift pushed consumers in Japan to go back to their pre-COVID-19 behaviours,…