Moderate crowds at the start of winter sales in Belgian shopping cities

Last weekend, the winter sales kicked off in Belgium. Fashion retailers have high expectations after a difficult fall. Initial reactions indicate a “pleasant bustle” in major cities, but no rush yet.

Run on winter coats

While major shopping cities such as Antwerp, Brussels and Ghent were bustling, the start of the sales season was remarkably quiet in smaller cities such as Hasselt. That seems to be the balance of the first sale weekend in Belgium, according to a survey by the newspaper HLN. There was certainly no rush, but retailers are seeing a run on winter coats, sweaters, and winter shoes. Shoppers are buying with purpose.

After a mediocre autumn, fashion retailers were looking forward to the start of the sales period. According to Mode Unie, the federation for independent fashion retailers, independent fashion retailers sold an average of 4% less last fall than during the winter season last year. “Due to the very mild temperatures in October, November, and even until mid-December, consumers postponed their purchases of winter items”, its director Isolde Delanghe said.

“Silent killers”

The current cold weather is therefore good news for fashion retailers. The vast majority expect to sell as much or more than in January 2024. Consumers still often visit high streets in person for the sales.

Nevertheless, the “unfair competition” from Chinese online stores such as Shein and Temu is causing concern in the sector. “These are silent killers for small retailers“, a regional director of NSZ – an organisation for the self-employed – says. He calls on consumers to consciously buy from smaller fashion retailers. “Smaller retailers can offer quality, which in the long run works out cheaper than buying cheap, low-quality products from China.”