Retail trade Retail sales in Switzerland hit by the weather, according to GfK
According to market research institute GfK, sales in the Swiss retail sector fell in the first half of 2024. They fell by 0.5%, as the "Market Monitor" published on Wednesday shows. One of the reasons for this was the bad weather.
07.08.2024, 12:16
SDA
The non-food sector saw a clear decline in the first half of the year. Sales there fell by 4.0%, while they increased by 1.6% in the food and near-food segment, according to GfK. Meanwhile, according to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), inflation stood at 1.3% in June.
According to the institute, the retail trade was influenced by seasonal weather shifts and temperature fluctuations. The heavy rainfall in June, for example, and weak consumer sentiment had a negative impact on the purchasing behavior of the Swiss.
This affected the fashion sector, for example, where sales of swimwear, beachwear and summer clothing as well as sunglasses and headwear were down. In the leisure segment, retailers lost sales, particularly in the sale of water sports and outdoor products. Thanks to the European Football Championships, the football clothing business did well.
Retailers recorded a decline in home electronics. Following the high demand for technical consumer goods in the last three years in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, market saturation can be observed, according to GfK. Nevertheless, product groups such as hair styling appliances, electric toothbrushes, deep fryers, headsets and projectors performed better than in the previous year.
Meanwhile, online shopping remains on trend. According to the figures, sales by Swiss consumers in this area grew by around 3% in the first half of the year compared to the same period last year.
