Retailing

While apparel and footwear specialists in New Zealand saw retail current value sales growth over 2023, the overall performance of the category reflected differences in the year. In the first half of the year, retail current value sales remained…

Apparel and footwear specialists continued to record single-digit growth in current value terms in 2023 as the category continued on the path to recovery. Despite this sales remained lower than pre-pandemic levels as elevated inflation and a sharp…

The slowdown in the economy has not hit apparel and footwear specialists in Finland as hard as grocery retailers. Pent-up demand for clothing purchases since the pandemic, especially to wear at parties and celebrations, has sustained sales growth in…

After a year of minimal current value growth in 2022, when consumers limited their trips outside the home due to COVID-19 outbreaks, vending saw a strong increase in its growth rate in China in 2023. A double-digit rise was seen in value sales –…

In 2023, consumer footfall in terms of shopping and commuting returned to near pre-pandemic levels, providing a further boost for vending in Australia. Local consumers are now regularly commuting for work and school purposes once again. Although…

Supermarkets saw moderate growth in current value terms in China in 2023. Consumer confidence is yet to pick up significantly in China, as economic uncertainty lingers in the country. Many supermarkets are also struggling with quality control,…

Although supermarkets in Australia recorded marginally lower growth in 2023 compared to 2022, it was still a solid performance by the channel. The elevated inflation rates and cost-of-living expenses resulted in high prices for basic essentials and…

Small local grocers in China includes a broad range of outlet types, from mom-and-pop stores to wet markets. After a year of significant decline in 2022, small local grocers returned to growth in 2023. This was mainly due to the end of COVID-19…

A culturally diverse population means that the landscape of small local grocers in Australia is rich with variety, with local shops sourcing products from around the world. This means that many small local grocers sell products which consumers…

Retail in China maintained current value growth in 2023. In early December 2022, the Chinese government announced “New Ten Measures” to optimise COVID-19 prevention, and it cancelled the zero-COVID policy. The whole country saw an end to…

Retail in Australia had to navigate a complex landscape in 2023, marked by a series of challenges, most notably the cost-of-living crisis stemming from rising interest rates and increased energy bills. These factors squeezed consumers' discretionary…

Robust growth continued for retail e-commerce in China in 2023, although the rate of current value increase was slower than seen in previous years. Retail sales were driven by strong performances for drinks and tobacco e-commerce, and for home…

Despite an overall slowdown in sales growth by e-commerce in Australia in 2023, especially by specialists, direct-to-consumer (DTC) models have gained popularity in the fashion industry as players sought to optimise their channel strategies and…

Despite seeing a halt to the decline in outlet numbers in 2023, hypermarkets continued its long-standing decline in retail current value terms in China in 2023. One driver of the fall in sales is that the channel is under intense competition from…

Spending among local consumers was significant throughout 2022 following the easing of pandemic-related lockdowns, resulting in greater footfall in stores, particularly benefiting hypermarkets in Australia. However, the cost-of-living crisis had a…

The sales of home products specialists were hit hard in China during the different waves of the pandemic, especially in 2020 and 2022, as consumers tightened their belts when it came to non-essential products, foot traffic reduced in stores, some…

Following several years of fluctuating performances, home products specialists in Australia recorded low, but positive, current value growth in 2023. Supply chains and logistics were thrown into chaos during the pandemic, creating a number of…

In 2023, overall health and beauty specialists saw a steady increase in current value terms and in terms of outlet numbers compared with 2022 in China. Positive current value growth was achieved across all channels, including pharmacies, despite the…

Pharmacies in Australia maintained their position as the primary source of health products for local consumers in 2023. This position is despite supermarkets such as Coles and Woolworths expanding their product ranges to include medication. However,…

After seeing a notable decline in value sales in 2022 during the waves of COVID-19 across the country, when many consumers lost confidence in spending on non-essential durable goods, general merchandise stores saw a moderate rebound in its sales in…