It is tradition to look back on any retail year that is reaching its end. Which articles on RetailDetail.eu were most read in the past twelve months? This overview gives a good idea of the trends and events in 2023…
The countdown…
20. Quick commerce company Getir is said to be burning up to a hundred million dollars a month, so the company is urgently looking for new capital. If that fails, the flash delivery company was said to consider leaving the Netherlands and Italy.
19. Dutch online retailer VidaXL has achieved a record profit of 177 million euros in 2021 and will most likely better this result in 2022. The reason for this, however, is not necessarily an upturn in product sales.
18. Most of the 128 integrated Delhaize stores in Belgium have embarked on a week-long strike. The employees were “shocked” to hear that the Ahold Delhaize subsidiary plans to sell all its Belgian stores to franchisers.
17. Carrefour is deploying a self-driving robot to deliver small online orders in the Corporate Village in Zaventem near Brussels, the office zone where the Belgian headquarters is located.
16. Zalando will no longer show customer reviews: the German platform is replacing them with a survey, as customers apparently barely publish reviews.
15. The move by Carrefour to place a label on products in its French shops that it accuses of shrinkflation, was met by accusations of manufacturers that called the action hypocritical.
14. Dutch SuitSupply is back on a profit, after two years of Covid losses. The suit retailer did, however, restock on a hefty amount of capital from its founder.
13. The European competition watchdog is attaching conditions to the merger between market research firms GfK and NielsenIQ announced last year. Therefore, GfK’s consumer panel will be put up for sale.
12. Less than a month after its American launch, Temu was already the most downloaded shopping app in the United States. Now the AliExpress rival is also conquering Europe. What makes the app so special?
11. Big news from British pop culture chain HMV, which announced it was coming to Belgium, with a first store on the European Continent in Wijnegem (Antwerp) opening 23 November. The chain’s first store outside of the British Isles signals the start of a wider European expansion.
10. Belgian supermarket chain Delhaize has announced it wants to sell all its integrated supermarkets in Belgium to independent franchisers. In doing so, the chain aims to become more profitable in a hyper-competitive market.
9. Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com is said to be interested in Ceconomy, the parent company of Saturn and Media Markt. A deal could significantly shake up the European electronics market.
8. That same electronics retailer Ceconomy was optimistic as sales have returned to above pre-pandemic levels, but it is still selling its loss-making operations in Sweden.
7. The new year did not bring a new beginning for Makro Belgium’s 1,400 employees: their company filed for bankruptcy in the first few days of 2023. Within hours, the court in Antwerp has indeed declared the chain bankrupt.
6. Fewer private brands, smaller stores, digitisation, sustainability and franchising: these are some of the strategies in Decathlon‘s new five-year plan. Cost savings are also on the cards.
5. Is the largest luxury group in the world soon becoming even larger? French LVMH is said to be considering a takeover of the world’s number four, Swiss Richemont, which owns luxury brands such as Cartier, Piaget and Yoox.
4. Ukraine accuses 26 companies of sponsoring the war, including major multinationals such as Metro, Mondelez and Procter & Gamble.
3. Will we soon be seeing the famous 7-Eleven signs all across Europe? The convenience store chain is expanding into Europe and looking for franchisees in a number of major markets.
2. The European Commission declares new insect products safe for consumption. So from Tuesday, powdered house crickets and the small mealworm will also be allowed in food.
1. Shein is becoming a marketplace: the Chinese clothing webshop is starting to offer products from third-party brands, such as Skechers.
