At the beginning of the Christmas business and the Black Friday discount campaign, the delivery problems in the German retail sector eased somewhat – and the mood in the industry is also less pessimistic. In a survey by the Munich Ifo Institute in November, 71.1 percent of retailers reported supply problems. That was 3.8 percentage points less than in October. The previous peak was reached in December last year with 81.6 percent.
In addition, the pessimism in the industry is waning. “Black Friday provides some hope for many retailers in difficult times,” said Klaus Wohlrabe, head of Ifo surveys. “Many customers are looking for bargains because of the high inflation rates.” However, there is a risk “that the Christmas business will be worse in December because many customers will already be stocking up on presents.”
In November, around half of the retailers surveyed were still pessimistic. This is still a very low value, but in October it was still around two thirds. The trade as a whole is concerned that customers will stay away, said Wohlrabe.
Toy retail is the least pessimistic sector looking ahead to the holiday season. At 60.5 percent, the proportion of companies with supply difficulties is one of the lowest in the current survey. On the other hand, delivery problems are particularly common with consumer electronics at 92 percent and with food and beverages at 88.5 percent. (dpa)