World Footwear

World Footwear Reports

Global footwear consumption to increase in 2023

Premium ContentJul 20, 2023 / Business Conditions Survey
In this edition of the Business Conditions survey, we asked our panel of experts about their expectations about footwear consumption in 2023. Read the main conclusions here

Online Business Marketing Tools gain Importance after COVID-19

Premium ContentJul 18, 2023 / Business Conditions Survey
In this edition of the Business Conditions survey, we asked our panel of experts to evaluate the importance of different business-to-business marketing tools for footwear businesses compared to the pre-pandemic period

Employment in the footwear sector expected to stabilise or decrease

Premium ContentJul 11, 2023 / Business Conditions Survey
In the latest edition of the World Footwear Business Conditions Survey, we have asked panel members about their expectation regarding employment in the industry. Read the results here

US Retail: distressing times for footwear retail

Premium ContentJul 7, 2023 / United States
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

Digital retail channels expected to continue growing

Premium ContentJul 4, 2023 / Business Conditions Survey
In the latest edition of the World Footwear Business Conditions Survey, we have asked panel members about their expectation regarding the different retail channels for footwear. Get free access to the report and read its main conclusions

UK Retail: a too-long string of ifs damps the mood

Premium ContentJun 29, 2023 / United Kingdom
Consumer confidence in the UK has yet to take off to somehow improve retailers’ mood in the textile and footwear sectors. Rising wages, falling energy bills and even slightly lower inflation may help brighten the atmosphere, but the uncertainty surrounding all of these factors doesn’t help retail much at present. For now, except for sticking to their previous conservative import decisions and watching closely for upcoming changes in consumption patterns, there’s little to be done

Cost of merchandise tops the list of concerns for the footwear industry

Premium ContentJun 27, 2023 / Business Conditions Survey
In the latest edition of the World Footwear Business Conditions Survey, our panel members identified the most pressing problems impacting the footwear industry. Get free access to the report and read its main conclusions

Positive perspetives for footwear businesses

Premium ContentJun 20, 2023 / Business Conditions Survey
In this edition of the Business Conditions survey, we asked our panel of experts to share their expectations about the health of the future business in the next semester. Read about the conclusions below

Average footwear prices expected to increase

Premium ContentJun 16, 2023 / Business Conditions Survey
In the latest edition of the World Footwear Business Conditions Survey, our panel members predicted an increase of 7.3% in footwear prices over the next six months. Get free access to the report with the main conclusions

Germany Retail: a bleak horizon for both the physical and online retail

Premium ContentJun 12, 2023 / World Footwear Reports
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

Premium ContentJun 6, 2023 / World Footwear Reports
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

Premium ContentMay 29, 2023 / France
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

Materials and Sustainability: How can footwear be more sustainable?

Premium ContentApr 17, 2023 / World Footwear Reports
Just released! A new paper dedicated to recycled and recyclable, biodegradable and compostable, and biobased and organic materials. This is the latest from a series dedicated to innovation in the footwear and leather goods industry

Footwear in Canada – a country snapshot

Premium ContentApr 3, 2023 / Canada
Today, we bring you our new country snapshot, this time focusing on Canada, the 16th largest importer of footwear in 2021 (value terms). In that year, consumption of footwear reached 128 million pairs, in a market of 38 million people whose GDP per capita ranks amongst the highest in the world

US Retail: slower growth for retail in the coming months

Premium ContentMar 14, 2023 / United States
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
Page 3 of 13