Retail and e-commerce – May 2023
Developments in retail
Preliminary figures from CBS (in Dutch) show that the Netherlands had 82.1 thousand physical store establishments on 1 January 2023, 1600 stores less than a year earlier. This is the strongest decline since the outbreak of the corona pandemic. The number of stores in shoes and leather goods decreased the most, the number of stores in other foodstuffs increased the most.
ABN AMRO (in Dutch) has published a sector report (in Dutch, 650 kB) on the state of the Dutch Leisure sector. The number of shops has decreased significantly in recent years. The risk here is that only large-scale retail chains remain, reducing the attractiveness of shopping areas. The report shows that this is not the case.
Packaging design integration to product development process
LUT University has published the master thesis (1.86 MB) by Juho Lepistö entitled ’Design for packaging and transportability principal integration to product development process’.
Fresh prepared foods market developments in the US
L.E.K. has published an article (1.6 MB) about finding success with fresh prepared foods in the US. It states that despite recent growth, the market remains underdeveloped relative to international markets. The producer landscape is fragmented with players focusing on specific categories, formats and channels with varying levels of success. Supply chain and manufacturing processes are evolving to drive growth in this segment, increasing profitability by focusing on factors like shelf life and food safety, packaging technology, automation, and strategic product development.
Reusable packaging in food home delivery services
According to an article by Packaging Europe, Uber Eats is aspiring to counteract an excess in single-use takeaway food packaging by trialling an alternative reusable system featuring doorstep collection to optimise consumer convenience.
The challenges of the retail
CIO has published a report about the state of retail e-commerce. In 2023, the majority of retailers surveyed in the UK, Ireland and Nordics agreed that tech, strategy and customer experience are their biggest challenges, with 19% of retailers naming tech as their main barrier to innovation. They also recognise that customer experience is more important than ever, with 61% stating it is their priority in the next 12 months. However, 30% said their outdated e-commerce platforms prevent them from providing engaging omnichannel experiences. You can download the report after filling in your details.
Euromonitor has published a report about how innovation will change retail. New business models amplify the competition. Social media and voice-enabled devices like smart speakers double as commerce platforms. Consumers browse and place orders with a few clicks on their smartphones. Therefore, brand discovery can happen anytime, anywhere. The buying process extends beyond the transaction. It is about building and establishing relationships before, during and after purchases. You can download the report after filling in your details.
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