The summer sales officially start today, with discounts averaging 30 per cent. The sales remain an important period of the year for Flemish retailers.
Stocks are at about the same level as last year the sector reports. Some 60 per cent of retailers still have between 20 and 40 per cent of their collection on the shelves. About 25 per cent of retailers are still stuck with 60 per cent of their stock. Discounts average 30 per cent during the first few days and this is likely to increase rapidly industry experts suggest.
Independent fashion retailers performed moderately during the spring and summer seasons in recent months. Sector organisation Fashion Union and the small businesses’ network Unizo expect a similar performance during the sales.
E-commerce seen as a growing threat to retailers
The Sales remain an important period of the year for retailers, but retailers are facing disappointments the Neutral Syndicate of the Self-Employed (NSZ) says. Big e-commerce platforms, with their year-round discounts, are making life hard for high street retailers and pressure from the big shopping centres is mounting.
"It is mainly the ‘unfair’ competition from the big platforms offering year-round discounts that is cited in a survey by the NSZ. Consumers constantly see so-called discounts and it has become impossible for them to know the correct price of products," Cedric Tack, NSZ spokesperson, says.
A second issue is the pressure from shopping centres on the city outskirts. "Customers find it increasingly difficult to come to city centres, so they prefer to shop in malls. Politicians should adopt a two-pronged approach encouraging and developing retail in city centres while limiting the number of out-of-town shops."