Customer
German consumer sentiment shows signs of improvement
German consumer sentiment rose more than expected in November despite high prices and a difficult labour market, according to GfK and the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM)
Footwear retail in 2024: signs of recovery or a bumpy ride ahead?
High inflation squeezed margins in footwear retail throughout 2023. To glimpse the industry's 2024 outlook, we analysed results from key players like manufacturers Yue Yuen and Stella Holdings and retailers Foot Locker, JD Sports, Shoe Carnival, and Genesco
Japan Retail: trade did not improve at the end of 2023, but a recovery is not out of the picture
As anticipated in the previous edition of the WF Retail Japan, trade (physical and online) did not improve at the end of 2023. What’s more, the country unexpectedly slipped into recession amid sluggish consumption and pressure on retail costs due to the weak yen. However, it’s expected that the easing of consumer inflation and the recovery of wages due to labour shortages could occur in the first half of 2024 and both consumer and retailer sentiment is on an upward trend. So perhaps a modest recovery could take place soon
German retailers expect weak Christmas sales
German retailers are not expecting a boost from Christmas sales this year. As geopolitical concerns threaten to dampen consumer sentiment, weak demand continues to weigh on their businesses
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
UK retail sales fell more than expected in September
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), UK retail sales saw a bigger-than-expected decline in September, due to unusually warm weather and the pressures of rising living costs
UK: footfall declined over Summer holidays
According to the data from British Retail Consortium Sensormatic IQ, footfall decreased by 1.6% in August, after rising by 1.8% in July, as compared to the same month of 2022
Japan Retail: mixed signs cast a shadow over a clear outlook for the rest of the year
The growth rate of footwear consumer prices has largely outpaced that of the overall prices. This is not a good sign for the footwear sector, as discretionary items are always the first to be discarded by consumers, but it is not all bad news. The truth is consumer confidence has rebound at the start of the year, private consumption has shown some resilience and the return of tourists is a welcoming sign. Perhaps most surprising is the fact that the volume of imports has not been affected by the weakening of the yen. It remains to be seen how the outlook will unfold
Loewe opens first leather goods repair store
The Spanish luxury label has opened in Osaka (Japan) its first store entirely dedicated to the repair and maintenance of leather articles. A leather artisan will be in the store ready to repair and renew damaged products brought in
UK-listed retailers' profit warnings fall to the lowest quarterly total since 2020
In the first quarter of 2023, UK-listed retailers' profit warnings fell to the lowest quarterly total since 2020, but “persistent inflation, high-interest rates and tightening consumer spending” continue to challenge the sector
Zalando launches virtual fitting room pilot
The German-based e-tailer is piloting a virtual fitting room experience with millions of customers across its 25 markets to better understand how they engage with this new technology
UK: Mother’s Day boosted March retail sales
Despite cost-of-living pressures and an wet weather that kept shoppers at home, Mother's Day purchases boosted spending in March. Still, overall growth fell short of inflation
Zalando reviews brand portfolio to raise its relevance
Based on a shift in consumer behaviour, the German-based e-tailer plans to increase the relevance of its brand assortment according to three criteria: inspiration, curation and personalisation
Japan retail: unlocking consumer confidence is key for retail
The volume of footwear imports closed 2022 about 10 percentage points below the 2015 baseline, suggesting that the impact of the imported inflation on prices has been clouding the real performance of retail sales in the category. Both the government and some companies have offered inflation allowances or anti-inflation subsidies, but given the saving Japanese mindset, it can be expected that any additional disposable income will not necessarily be used for discretionary shopping, such as clothing and footwear. To boost consumption, it is therefore needed to unlock consumer confidence, which improved only marginally In February, and appears now to be flattening-
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