Between Christmas and New Year we traditionally look back: which articles on RetailDetail.eu were read the most last year? This overview gives a nice picture of the events in the insane retail year 2020. And no, not every article was about corona…
Records shattered
All records were shattered last year: media consumption rose sharply during the lockdown and this also affected RetailDetail. Over the year as a whole, our platform received an average of 450,000 unique visitors per month, an increase of more than 80% compared to 2019, which was already a strong year. So the hunger for information was particularly high among retail professionals in the Benelux. Not illogical: after all, all certainties were undermined.
The top 20
1. In March, the Belgian government issued draconian measures in order to combat the spread of the corona virus.
2. Swedish fashion group H&M planned to close 170 stores this year, following the coronavirus crisis and the losses incurred as a result.
3. The days of low-cost packages imported directly from China are over, experts predict.
4. Mere, a hard-discounter from Russia, opened its third store in Germany and wants to expand further into Europe.
5. Mars reviews the brand image of its Uncle Ben’s rice brand, in the context of the growing movement against racism.
6. Lidl has published a list of the suppliers behind its private label brands in Germany.
7. Rumours say both Aldi branches (Nord and Süd) are actively pursuing a plan to merge by 2022, ending a schism lasting half a century.
8. Too Good to Go, a Danish app that fights food waste, is expanding to the United States, taking its first steps outside Europe.
9. Le Pain Quotidien‘s American locations have a new owner: Aurify Brands, manager of fast food restaurants, will become master franchiser.
10. Ikea is to open a second-hand store, where only used and refurbished furniture from the home interior chain is sold.
11. Ceconomy (the former Metro branch that owns electronics chains Media Markt and Saturn) has announced a thorough restructuring, which may cause up to 3,500 jobs being cut and several stores closed all over Europe.
12. Decathlon turns its Belgian webshop into a platform on which other brands and partners can sell their sporting products.
13. Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof has applied for creditor protection. The department store group is being hit hard by the corona crisis.
14. In Belgium, discounter Lidl has opened a store with a warmer decoration and a completely new layout. Shoppers can discover several inspiring ‘eating worlds’.
15. Amazon is serious about its expansion to the Netherlands: the Dutch webshop is opening its doors and offers “millions of products” straight away.
16. In December, Germany went back in lockdown, followed by The Netherlands.
17. An end to the eyewear war: the planned merger between GrandVision and EssilorLuxottica was halted.
18. Belgian bakery chain Le Pain Quotidien is working on a ‘Pain Quotidien bis’: it is in the midst of insolvency proceedings and is handing over its American and British branches via master franchising.
19. Closed stores and stock that cannot be sold: the havoc that corona will wreak in the fashion retail is becoming increasingly apparent. New studies now predict which chains will be the first to fall…
20. For the second time this year, Belgium has decided to impose a severe lockdown in the fight against the coronavirus.
