Imports
France Retail: watch out for the snowball effect
Both the footwear and the retail sector as a whole have failed to start the year on a strong footing, according to sales data. Consumers, who seemed to start the year in a more positive mood, took a step back in March and remain pessimistic about the French economy. Import data also suggest that retail confidence is in free fall. All in all, the risk of a snowball effect in the French retail sector cannot be dismissed.
Netherlands Retail: optimism reigns at the start of the year
Despite falling consumer confidence in the Netherlands, footwear retailers have good reason to be optimistic about 2025. The data shows that consumers have absorbed the expected lower price increases – footwear inflation shows no signs of abating – and will be spending. In fact, overall retail and e-commerce sales in the Netherlands are forecast to grow by 3.5% and 8%, respectively, this year. It’s worth noting that online shopping continues to stand out as a preferred channel for Dutch shoppers
Global footwear trade in 2024: China exports slow, US and Germany rebound in imports
China remained the top footwear exporter in 2024, with exports increasing in volume but decreasing in value. Meanwhile, Vietnam and Indonesia consolidated their positions with double-digit export growth. On the import side, the US and Germany reversed their import declines in 2023, which suggests a resurgence in global demand
Rising domestic demand drives footwear production in Brazil
Footwear production increased by 3.5% last year, as compared to 2023, driven by rising domestic demand. Growth could have been higher without the “invasion” of imported shoes, says Abicalçados
Details of reciprocal tariff review closely watched by AAFA
The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) is closely monitoring the reciprocal tariff review announced by the Trump administration. Initial reports are due by the 1st of April
Retail Flash: insights from key footwear markets
Explore the main retail trends in France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, the UK, the US and Spain from our Retail Flash reports, highlighting volatility in 2024 and mixed consumer and retailer sentiment. In particular, new tariffs on key trading partners could put pressure on US footwear prices, Germany’s online sector continues to expand and Japan faces rising inflation
Japan Retail: no concrete forecasts as the country adjusts to a new economic paradigm
While the online channel continues to stand out in a retail market that has seen a slight increase in spending since September 2024, the fashion sector has struggled the most, most likely due to the warm weather that has affected seasonal shopping. For footwear in particular, after a year of low prices, there’s reason to wonder if the picture of near-zero interest rates could hurt consumer behaviour, as their confidence wanes. The overall stability of imports, despite currency fluctuations, doesn't allow for a concrete forecast
Germany’s shoe industry navigates market changes
German footwear imports dropped, with Vietnam overtaking China as the leading supplier. Higher wages, inflation and political uncertainty add to the challenges shaping the industry’s outlook for 2025
US Retail: fuzzy outlook for the year 2025
While footwear sales are expected to have ended 2024 on a high note, overall retail sales were more subdued than in the previous year, suggesting that consumers were cautiously optimistic throughout the year. However, rising inflation in the final months of the year appears to have made them wary again and import figures suggesting that retailers will need to stock up again may be hard to come by, as the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on goods from Mexico, Canada and China have caused some instability. While the outlook for 2025 is not negative, it is certainly not euphoric
UK Retail: the future is not looking very bright
Textile, Clothing and Footwear (TCF) sales have held their own in the final quarter of the year, showing resilience to the drag from overall retail sales. However, the sticky above-target inflation in the UK over the past year is a cause for concern as wages fail to keep pace. In addition, the higher costs for retailers predicted in the last Budget may leave them with little choice but to raise prices and cut jobs. As much as imports have shown some stability, the future for the retail sector is not looking very bright at the moment
Germany Retail: cautious optimist prevails as the year begins
There are no fireworks in the German retail sector. Overall sales are stable, with e-commerce standing out, inflation is on target, and consumer confidence, which remains negative, has risen slightly. However, retailers have experienced a rollercoaster of emotions throughout 2024, and the only certainty at the start of the year is cautious optimism. Political turmoil, economic difficulties and geopolitical conflicts could just as easily lead to a turbulent year for retail
Spain Retail: will the positive momentum hold up?
Fashion retail sales were generally positive from July to November 2024, but will this trend continue? While we await official data on year-end sales, the negative footwear inflation seen in October and November, combined with a rise in consumer confidence, may have helped to boost spending. And with import figures showing that retailers were stocking up, let’s hope the holidays were the reason, as a recent dip in retail confidence could be just the bad news the sector didn’t need to hear at the start of the year
France Retail: retailers cautiously optimistic for the holidays
October brought good news for footwear sales and retailer confidence is also on the rise, despite negative footwear inflation and rising costs. However, the picture isn’t clear regarding consumer confidence, which fell to a five-month low in November as households worried about the economic outlook in light of France’s difficult political environment. Will this weigh on footwear sales in the last two months of the year, or will recent news that consumers are planning to spend more on the festive season prevail?
Footwear imports pressure South African manufacturers
South Africa's footwear imports surged by nearly 35% this year, while local production fell by 15%, prompting SAFLIA and unions to seek solutions to the challenges faced by local manufacturers
Brazilian footwear industry eyes recovery despite growing trade pressures
The Brazilian footwear industry is expected to surpass pre-pandemic production levels in 2025. However, rising low-cost competition from imports poses challenges to local manufacturers-
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