Sales
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
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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
US retail sales grew in March but consumers are worried
Data released by the US Census Bureau showed that retail sales rose in March, even as consumers continued to worry about the impact of rising tariffs, the National Retail Federation (NRF) said
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.
SECOND CALL: Join the 12th edition of the World Footwear Business Conditions Survey
The WorldFootwear.com is asking all experts within the footwear industry to share their views on the current business situation. Join the new edition of the World Footwear Business Conditions Survey. WE WANT TO HEAR YOU!
Join the 12th edition of the World Footwear Business Conditions Survey
The WorldFootwear.com is asking all experts within the footwear industry to share their views on the current business situation. Join the new edition of the World Footwear Business Conditions Survey. WE WANT TO HEAR YOU!
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
UK: Golden Quarter fails to salvage 2024 trade
Total UK retail sales grew by 0.7% in 2024 as compared to the previous year, as the Golden Quarter recorded sales growth of just 0.4% year-on-year, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said
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-
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