Imports
UK Retail: signs of a slowdown are emerging
After a promising start to the year, the UK retail sector is now showing signs of slowing down. Textile, clothing and footwear (TCF) sales, which had recorded consistent year-on-year growth in the first months of 2025, have now begun to decline, reflecting a general downturn in retail performance. Online sales have been highly volatile, with TCF categories being particularly sensitive to changes in consumer sentiment. Meanwhile, rising inflation and weakening consumer confidence are putting downward pressure on spending, and the decline in sales suggests that imports may follow this trend
Footwear production rebounds in 2024
Last year, global footwear production recovered, increasing by 6.9% and regaining the 1.5 billion pairs lost in 2023. This is one of the key conclusions of the data published in the World Footwear Yearbook 2025, just released by APICCAPS, the Portuguese Footwear Association
Spain Retail: the fashion sector is now under pressure
Unlike our previous forecast, the Spanish fashion sector is currently under pressure, with its turnover down by 2.56% year-on-year in the first half of the year. The footwear sector, in particular, is showing worrying signs, with low prices and cautious consumer behaviour. This has left retailers with high inventory levels and high hopes for summer discounts. However, only time will tell if the slowdown of the Spanish economy due to mounting global geopolitical and financial uncertainty will affect their prospects
2024: footwear production rebounds, exports rise in volume but not in value
In 2024, global footwear production recovered, increasing by 6.9% and regaining the 1.5 billion pairs lost in 2023. Footwear exports also improved in volume, rising by 4.6% compared to the previous year. However, the total export value remained nearly flat, growing by just 0.1%. These are some of the key conclusions of the data published in the World Footwear Yearbook 2025, just released by APICCAPS, the Portuguese Footwear Association
France Retail: something doesn’t add up in the footwear market
There is something amiss in the footwear retail sector in France. Since April, footwear sales have increased and prices have remained stable, supported by one of the lowest inflation rates in the Eurozone. Nevertheless, concerns have been raised about the sluggish state of the economy, with both consumer and retail confidence not only negative, but also on a downward trend. This suggests that footwear imports will most likely continue to decrease, as they did in April. Only time will tell what will happen next
Netherlands Retail: mixed signs in the first half of the year
Despite a strong start to 2025, the Dutch retail sector has been experiencing some volatility. Sales in the footwear sector recorded significant fluctuations, reaching their lowest point in April with a decline of 7.5%, before recovering to a decline of 2.5% in May. Notably, the footwear sector experienced negative inflation in these months, meaning consumers paid less for footwear. However, imports to the Netherlands have increased in the first quarter, and Retail confidence remains above zero. Therefore, despite negative consumer confidence and a challenging macroeconomic backdrop, there may still be some hope for the rest of the year
French footwear exports decline, while imports remain flat
According to the Alliance France de Cuir, exports of French footwear decreased by 4% year-on-year to 1.32 billion euros in the first quarter, while imports remained flat at 2.09 billion euros
Japan Retail: renewed optimism for footwear demand?
Japan’s retail landscape is transforming, driven by the strong performance of the online channel. Despite overall inflationary pressure, retail sales as a whole and footwear imports are on an upward trend, boosted by a weaker US dollar against the yen. With footwear prices finally showing signs of recovery, there is cautious optimism for renewed demand in the short term, even as rising interest rates weigh on consumer confidence
US Retail: bleak prospects amid growing uncertainty
The footwear retail sector is definitely underperforming, especially compared with clothing and accessories. The current trade war between the US and its trading partners is not helping consumers recover from last year’s inflationary crisis. Consumer confidence has fallen by almost 30% in the first four months of the year as people believe that shoe prices may rise significantly again. Against this backdrop, importers are at a standstill, trying to guess the best course of action. Uncertainty is the word that best describes the current situation in the sector
Early signs of supply chain disruption from the recent trade war
Import cargo at major US container ports is expected to decline year-on-year for the first time in over a year and a half in May, as the effects of the trade war on the supply chain start to become apparent
UK Retail: the sector appears to be holding its own
The UK retail sector appears to be holding its own despite fears of increased costs as a result of the new Employment Rights Bill. In particular, retail sales of Textile, Clothing and Footwear (TCF) have risen back-to-back in the first quarter of the year, and the improvement in footwear inflation from negative to neutral in March may suggest a boost to demand. Although consumers aren’t exactly optimistic about the future, especially with new rising bills and the ongoing US trade war, retailers still have reasons to restock
Germany Retail: hope rests on the ability of retailers to weather gloomy circumstances
In a landscape where e-commerce is in a league of its own, footwear retailers continue to struggle to regain sales growth, even against the backdrop of overall retail performance. And low inflation in the sector is actually indicative of low demand, not consumer confidence. Indeed, the data shows that consumers remain far more pessimistic than retailers, and a renewed rise in the propensity to save is clouding the overall picture. Given the volatile global trading environment, hope rests on the ability of retailers to weather these gloomy conditions
Spain Retail: a case for optimism
Despite a decline in fashion sales in January, February bucked the trend, and the data points to a stable performance for the sector in 2025, with online taking the lead. Although the deflation in the apparel and footwear sectors is not good news, retailers in general remain optimistic about the future - as shown by the import data - supported by the economic growth the country has experienced and is expected to continue to experience
Brazilian footwear exports rise in the first quarter
Brazilian footwear exports grew in volume and value in the first quarter of the year, but Abicalçados fears a slowdown in this trend in the coming months due to the volatile global environment
What’s next for footwear businesses in a volatile global trade landscape?
We have looked at the prospects for footwear companies in light of the recent US tariffs announcements, highlighting some concerns from both a manufacturing and retail perspective-
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