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France Retail: with no crystal ball and eyes wide shut
Despite the slowdown in inflation in recent months and the slight improvement in consumer confidence, footwear retail remains on a downward trend. There is some hope for an upturn in the retail environment in the first half of 2024, but the available data on imports at the moment does not allow us to look ahead with sufficient clarity. Meanwhile, the online second-hand market shows signs of becoming increasingly relevant in France
South Korean Coupang acquires Farfetch
The South Korean e-commerce giant has agreed to buy Farfetch in a bailout deal, providing the online luxury platform with 500 million USD in emergency funding. Deal to acquire a 47.5% stake in Yoox Net-a-Porter is off
US online sales to exceed 1.1 trillion dollars in 2023
E-commerce sales in the US are on track to exceed 1.1 trillion US dollars in 2023, up by 7% over 2022. But this growth is set to be the weakest since the 2009 recession
Farfetch’s owner is reportedly considering taking the company private
The online luxury retailer’s Chief Executive Officer José Neves is reportedly in talks with top shareholders and JP Morgan advisers to delist the company
Cautious British consumers hold back on spending
Figures by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) suggest that retail growth slowed down in October due to the impact of inflation, with consumers deciding to reduce spending ahead of the holidays
Japan Retail: footwear trade is not expected to improve until the end of the year
Despite some positive news on the growth of department store sales and the return of foreign tourists, rising consumer prices set alarm bells ringing in September, suggesting that Japanese consumers in general are cutting back on spending and may be at their breaking point. In addition, the reduction in the volume of footwear imports and the impact of the country’s monetary policy on the cost of imported goods is another sign that footwear retail is unlikely to improve by the end of the year. The Government has been taking measures, but the outcome shouldn’t be seen until 2024
US Retail: footwear prospects until the end of the year are at a standstill
Despite signs of a certain resilience from consumers over the summer, companies are taking a cautious approach for the rest of 2023. The long deceleration in footwear inflation came to a halt in August, so if the trend recedes, wage increases will have to follow suit, or the positive outlook for footwear retail could be jeopardised. It’s not surprising how carefully retailers are managing their inventory at the moment: neither too much nor too little
Amazon posts robust third quarter
The Seattle-based online giant posted a strong performance in the third quarter of 2023, with profits rising significantly to 9.9 billion USD from 2.9 billion USD in the same quarter of 2022
Zalando lowers full year GMV and revenue guidance
Despite confirming its 2023 profits guidance, the online retailer has lowered its GMV and revenue outlook revenue on the “expectation of continued pressure on demand for the rest of the year”
Amazon to expand drone deliveries to the UK and Italy
The Seattle-based online retail giant announced the expansion of the Prime Air drone delivery system to customers in Italy and the UK by the end of 2024. A third US city will also be covered
Partnership between Richemont and Farfetch receives antitrust clearance
The European Commission (EC) has “unconditionally” approved Farfetch’s acquisition of a 47.5% stake in Yoox Net-a-Porter. The EC was the last regulatory authority required to give authorisation
Germany Retail: retailers’ troubles are far from over
Confidence indicators are a red flag for retail at the moment, especially on the retailers’ side. The slow decline in inflation is likely to have a negative impact on consumer prices in the clothing and footwear segment, which will undoubtedly continue to limit consumers’ purchasing power; even the fall in import prices is not entirely positive news, as it will take time to translate into reality. Only the online channel seems to be more optimistic about the times ahead
Spartoo posts an improvement in EBITDA
In the first half of the year, amidst a challenging macroeconomic environment, the French-based retailer reported a decline in GMV and sales, but an improvement in its profitability
France Retail: the retail boat is sitting on the water waiting for the wind to pick up
After a somewhat mixed performance over the summer, highly impacted by short-lived events such as the postponement of sales due to the riots or August’s heatwave, some signs suggest that retail in France could improve next year. Consumers seem to be less pessimistic about rising prices and their personal financial situation. But it all comes down to the trajectory of inflation, and whether food and energy prices will effectively ease until the end of the year
Sneaker resale marketplace Laced expands to Europe
The UK-based resale sneaker platform is expanding into European markets by starting to roll out dedicated language websites and introducing a series of currencies-
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