Imports
Asia accounts for more than half of global footwear consumption
This is one of the main conclusions of the World Footwear Yearbook 2023, just released by APICCAPS, the Portuguese Footwear Association. Read more about it today
2022: global footwear production reaches 23.9 billion pairs, back to pre-pandemic levels
In 2022 footwear production and exports grew by 7.6% and 9% respectively. Data are taken from the World Footwear Yearbook 2023 just released by APICCAPS, the Portuguese Footwear Association. Global footwear production reached the 23.9 billion pairs threshold, bouncing back to pre-pandemic levels. Last year 15.2 billion pairs were exported worldwide, representing a recovery from the drop registered as a result of the pandemic, yet still below the record registered in 2014 (15.7 billion pairs)
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
US Retail: distressing times for footwear retail
In an environment of widespread destocking, footwear retail sales have been declining since the start of the year in the US, and despite good news such as a continuous moderation in price increases. The problem remains with the rising consumer price index for all categories, whose decreasing pace is not enough to generate an overall positive impact. Consumers are still attending to more pressing needs, and footwear is not on that list
Venezuelan footwear production expected to grow by 20% in 2023
Venezuelan footwear production may increase by about 20% this year, says Tony Di Benedetto, President of Cavecal, but growth can be compromised if industry and trade conditions do not improve
Spanish footwear exports increase in the first quarter
In the first three months of 2023, Spanish footwear exports increased by 21% in value due to the impact of inflation, but remained below pre-pandemic levels in volume terms
Germany Retail: a bleak horizon for both the physical and online retail
Consumers seem to have definitely pulled the rug out from under footwear companies, as can be seen by the wave of insolvencies observed in the footwear sector in recent months, in addition to the store closures recorded in 2022. And the online channel is having no better luck, with sales progressively losing the momentum of the positive results recorded in the summer of last year. Overall, the future of retail looks set to remain a little gloomier in the coming months
Spain Retail: good signs for retail in the first quarter of the year
Several indicators showed that consumer confidence is improving, reversing the downward trend seen after the invasion of Ukraine, but overall, consumer sentiment remains rather pessimistic. On the other hand, retailer confidence has been on the rise since January. In fact, the TCF (Textile, Clothing and Footwear) Retail Index (seasonally adjusted, by Eurostat), which had been recovering modestly from June to November 2022, soared thereafter as if Christmas were an uninterrupted season for the entire first quarter of 2023, and even the imports’ behaviour seems to have anticipated a sales boom. Meanwhile, expectations for online sales in 2023 are overall positive, but comparisons with the pandemic period might be misleading
France Retail: prospects for the clothing and footwear sectors are still far from positive
The stabilization of the pattern of weakening French consumer confidence in the first quarter of the year cannot mask the pessimism that is still being felt in the country, especially in the context of social unrest. Moreover, in this reality of high inflation, neither do price increases hide the contraction in volumes sold nor is it possible to ignore the difficulties faced by companies more exposed to the domestic market due to increased operating costs (rents and energy) or even the stagnation of the online channel. Retail prospects for the clothing and footwear sectors are, therefore, still far from positive
Indian government considering monitoring imports of leather products
The Commerce Ministry in India is considering introducing an import monitoring system for the leather sector. Under such a system, the traders will have to provide advance information about the products to be imported
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
Brazil and Argentina defend the continuity of the TEC
Both the Brazilian Footwear Industries Association (Abicalçados) and the Footwear Industry Chamber from Argentina (CIC) stressed the importance of the External Tariff of Mercosur (TEC) for the sustainability of the sector
German footwear exports up by 19.4% in 2022
German footwear exports in 2022 grew in value by 19.4% over the prior year, totalling 9.6 billion euros, says the Federal Association of the German Footwear and Leather Goods Industry (HDS/L)
US Retail: slower growth for retail in the coming months
The available data suggests that footwear sales dipped in the last quarter of 2022. With inflation eating the wage growth and impacting the stability of the labour market, US consumers appear to have deemed footwear purchases as not essential. This situation is somewhat corroborated by the negative performances of several companies in the fashion category, such as Capri, Nordstrom and VF Corp, in the fourth quarter of the year. Their main concern relates to the excess inventory, which led to a highly promotional environment and caused imports to reduce. Accounting for the mixed feelings on the consumers’ side, it is safe to endorse cautious prospects for retail for these first months of 2023
Germany Retail: one swallow doesn’t make a summer
Despite the upturn in consumer confidence observed in the last quarter of 2022, there is still much concern among retailers. Footwear imports are following an upward trend since October, which could be read as a good sign concerning the health of retail, but German businesses are quite familiar with the sensitivity of their consumers to slight changes in overall economic conditions, and inflation is still expected to impact directly sales. Caution seems definitely to be the watchword at the start of 2023-
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