World Footwear

World Footwear Reports

Less Optimism about Footwear Consumption in 2025

Premium ContentJun 4, 2025 / Business Conditions Survey
The results of 12th edition of the World Footwear Business Conditions Survey are now available. The average expected growth rate for footwear consumption is 7.6%, slightly less than the 8.4% projection made in the last quarter of 2024

Lean Robotics: How can robots and humans join forces in the footwear industry?

Premium ContentMay 28, 2025 / World Footwear Reports
JUST RELEASED! Read the latest World Footwear Innovation Paper on how robots can contribute to footwear production processes by improving efficiency through lean manufacturing principles

Japan Retail: renewed optimism for footwear demand?

Premium ContentMay 27, 2025 / Japan
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

Premium ContentMay 20, 2025 / United States
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

UK Retail: the sector appears to be holding its own

Premium ContentMay 13, 2025 / United Kingdom
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

Premium ContentApr 28, 2025 / Germany
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

Premium ContentApr 22, 2025 / Spain
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

France Retail: watch out for the snowball effect

Premium ContentApr 11, 2025 / France
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

Premium ContentApr 3, 2025 / Netherlands
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

3D printing in footwear is particularly valued in the early stages of production

Premium ContentMar 24, 2025 / Business Conditions Survey
In the 11th edition of the World Footwear Business Conditions Survey, we asked our experts about their opinion on the impact of 3D printing in the footwear industry. Read the main conclusions now

Asia expected to Present the Fastest Growth in Footwear Production

Premium ContentMar 17, 2025 / Business Conditions Survey
In the latest World Footwear Business Conditions Survey we asked our panel of experts about the region which will experience the fastest growth in footwear production over the next five years. Asia ranked first. Africa was listed as a potential emerging hub

Survey reveals growing importance of digital retail channels will continue

Premium ContentFeb 24, 2025 / Business Conditions Survey
The results of the latest World Footwear Business Conditions Survey have been published. Over half of respondents anticipate an increase in the share of digital retail channels over the next three years

Retail Flash: insights from key footwear markets

Premium ContentFeb 20, 2025 / World
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

Premium ContentFeb 11, 2025 / Japan
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

Industry is confident regarding footwear retail prices

Premium ContentFeb 10, 2025 / Business Conditions Survey
77% of the respondents of the last edition of the World Footwear Business Conditions Survey expect footwear retail prices to increase over the next six months. The report with the results of the 11th edition of the survey is now available
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