The situation in the shoe retail trade is currently characterized by major differences. On the one hand there are insolvencies of well-known shoe retail chains such as RENO or Görtz, on the other hand other companies – such as Deichmann as well as larger local shoe top dogs – achieved good sales in the last financial year and some are already above the pre-Corona level again.
On balance, according to initial projections, BTE assumes that stationary shoe retail closed the first half of 2023 with an average higher single-digit increase in sales compared to 2022. The Federal Statistical Office even calculated an increase in sales of 17 percent for the first six months due to different calculation methods.
However, it must be taken into account that in the first four months of the comparative year 2022, the last corona restrictions such as 2G or 3G regulations were still in force, which severely hampered business. On February 24th, the Ukraine war also hit the market, which affected the buying mood of customers, at least in the first few weeks. The growth rates of the first four months of 2023 are therefore based on comparatively low values and were therefore “pre-programmed”.
After that, the changeable weather led to ups and downs in sales. Due to the cool weather, there was a drop in sales in May 2023 compared to 2022. In June, on the other hand, a plus was achieved again with better weather.
In July, with changeable weather, closed models sold very well. The new autumn/winter models have also got off to a good start. With the beginning of the heat wave, many customers decided not to buy shoes in August, so that the last few weeks have been rather quiet for most shoe shops.
The trend in the first half of the year was primarily for sporty models – both in the low shoe area and in the area of open goods. In the low shoe segment, sneakers in particular did very well. But the new types of loafers in standard colors as well as in the seasonally fashionable colors green and pink were also in demand. Mules were the favorites in the open segment.
Despite the nominal increase in sales, the stationary shoe trade continues to find itself in difficult waters. Because of the high inflation since spring 2022, the vast majority of shops are only slightly in the black or even in the red after price adjustment. In addition, many companies are struggling with high cost increases, for example in the area of personnel costs or rents. The energy costs, which rose sharply in 2022, have recently fallen noticeably, but are mostly still above the values of 2021.
The brick-and-mortar shoe trade can be pleased that it was able to win back market share again in the first half of the year. According to the first BTE projections, almost two thirds of the sales made in Germany came from the stationary shoe specialists. Online trading, which accounted for well over half of sales during the peak of the pandemic, currently accounts for 18 percent. Other types of business, such as department stores and fashion stores, account for 17 percent of total shoe sales.
Despite the current challenges and burdens, which also include cross-industry problems such as excessive bureaucracy, a shortage of skilled workers or inner-city development, the shoe trade is cautiously optimistic about the order round for spring/summer 2024. The companies are aware that business partners from trade and industry have to pull together even more in the future. The BTE, representing the interests of the shoe trade, constructively accompanies this process.