Garden Products Retailing: Inc Impact of COVID-19 - UK  

“Garden product retailing continues to evolve with the loss of market leader, Wyevale, from the garden sector being balanced out by the expansion of a number of other aspirational chains such as Dobbies, British Garden Centres and Blue Diamond. Going forward those operating outside of the horticulture market continue to capture consumer interest with the COVID-19 crisis likely to hasten alternative methods of retailing such as home delivery, click and collect and shopping online.”

European Retail Briefing: Inc Impact of COVID-19  

“The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact consumer behaviour, creating many challenges for retailers in a variety of sectors. As non-essential stores gradually reopen in most European countries while having to enforce social distancing in-store, there are a number of opportunities for retailers to partly offset the decrease in sales they have experienced. While some attempt to strengthen their online presence, others are focusing on innovations and the use of technology to keep consumers engaged and encourage them to spend.”

Armando Falcao, European Retail Analyst

• UK Retail Briefing: Inc Impact of COVID-19  
  UK Retail Briefing: Inc Impact of COVID-19

  

  "On June 15 all non-essential retail stores within the UK will once more be allowed to open their doors, subject to strict regulations.We estimate the lockdown, and the closures of non-essential stores will have cost the retail sector some £21.7 billion between March and June 2020, and with this period passing the biggest hit to the sector in 2020 will pass. Of course trade will not snap back to ‘normal’ immediately and store-based trade will be significantly impacted throughout 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic." Nicholas Carroll, Associate Director - Retail
• DIY Retailing: Inc Impact of COVID-19 - France  
  DIY Retailing: Inc Impact of COVID-19 - France

  

  “The French DIY market has been buoyant, with the boom in e-commerce and the arrival of pureplayers strengthening competition and driving prices down. Big-box retailers still dominate though, with the top two retail groups, ADEO and Kingfisher, generating over half of sector sales. The largest chain is the very successful Leroy Merlin, and we expect to see it further extend its lead in the post-COVID world.”– Natalie Macmillan, Senior European Retail Analyst
• DIY Retailing: Inc Impact of COVID-19 - Spain  
  DIY Retailing: Inc Impact of COVID-19 - Spain

  

  “Leroy Merlin is the largest and most successful DIY retailer in Spain, more than three times the size of its nearest rival. It dominates both in-store and online. All DIY stores were forced to close during the COVID-19 lockdown and the requirements to reopen are strict. Many retailers will struggle to survive the hit to sales and profits from the epidemic and only those that can ramp up their online model will be able to benefit from the permanent changes to consumer behaviour”– Natalie Macmillan, Senior European Retail Analyst
• DIY Retailing: Inc Impact of COVID-19 - Europe  
  DIY Retailing: Inc Impact of COVID-19 - Europe

  

  “The DIY markets across the leading European countries vary a great deal, due in part to differences in home ownership levels and the development of housing prices. The recent generally good performance of the DIY sector is being interrupted by the current threat of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, while the coronavirus outbreak has led to a series of challenges, it is also creating opportunities and driving demand for light DIY tasks, and those retailers that are quickest to respond to the changes and develop their online capabilities are the most likely to succeed.”– Armando Falcao, European Retail Analyst
• DIY Retailing: Inc Impact of COVID-19 - UK  
  DIY Retailing: Inc Impact of COVID-19 - UK

  

  “COVID-19 will have a mixed impact on the DIY market. Extended periods inside will open opportunities amid a renewed focus on the home and garden, while enforced self-reliance could return the appetite for DIY in the longer term. However, ultimately these opportunities will be unable to offset the sales lost by store closures, withheld spending and a slowdown in the housing market; while this disruption will further accelerate fragmentation in the market, as new demand is fulfilled by non-specialists, both online and in-store.”
• UK Retail Briefing: Inc Impact of COVID-19  
  UK Retail Briefing: Inc Impact of COVID-19

  

  "Retailers across a variety of sectors continue to face different challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. While the UK is one of the later countries to allow non-essential stores to reopen, stores have already had to adapt to social distancing and other safety measures but the coronavirus crisis is creating opportunities to partly offset the sales lost during lockdown. Some are already strengthening their online platforms while others focus on innovations and other factors that can help them outlive the outbreak."- Nick Caroll, Associate Director - Retail
• European Retail Briefing: Inc Impact of COVID-19  
  European Retail Briefing: Inc Impact of COVID-19

  

  “The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact consumer behaviour, creating many challenges for retailers in a variety of sectors. As non-essential stores gradually reopen in most European countries while having to enforce social distancing in-store, there are a number of opportunities for retailers to partly offset the decrease in sales they have experienced. While some attempt to strengthen their online presence, others are focusing on innovations and the use of technology to keep consumers engaged and encourage them to spend.”- Armando Falcao, European Retail Analyst
• Consumer Attitudes Towards Cut Flowers and Houseplants: Inc Impact of COVID-19 - UK  
  Consumer Attitudes Towards Cut Flowers and Houseplants: Inc Impact of COVID-19 - UK

  

  “The COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruptions to all stages of the floriculture supply chain which operates at a global level and works inter-dependently to bring flowers and houseplants to key markets such as the UK, all-year round. The ‘domino effect’ that has ensued has placed all businesses and segments of the flower and houseplant sector in a vulnerable position as it was just entering its peak season with key events like Mother’s Day generating high levels of demand. While in the UK, store closures by florists have significantly decreased the availability of flowers and houseplants - this will have prompted many of the markets players to consider a more direct way to supply customers and has highlighted the crucial need for an online presence.”
• DIY Retailing: Inc Impact of COVID-19 - Italy  
  DIY Retailing: Inc Impact of COVID-19 - Italy

  

  “With DIY and hardware stores being permitted to stay open as they are classed as essential stores and most of the leading brands having online stores too, the DIY stores segment is likely to be less badly impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak than other non-food stores. However, with limits on what they sell and many retailers operating restrictions on numbers allowed into their stores at any one time, industry revenues are still going to be significantly lower in 2020.”– Michael Oliver, Retail Analyst
• Department Stores: Inc Impact of COVID-19 - Spain  
  Department Stores: Inc Impact of COVID-19 - Spain

  

  “The department store sector in Spain has only one significant player, El Corte Inglés. It was continuing to perform well, helped by the fact that consumer spending was growing in all categories carried by the retailer’s stores. However, 2020 is going to be a difficult year as a result of the outbreak of COVID-19, which hit Spain hard. In addition to strengthening its online presence, the department store has been investing heavily to broaden its audience and pursuing ways of attracting more shoppers to its stores.”– Armando Falcao, European Retail Analyst – 21st April 2020
• Department Stores: Inc Impact of COVID-19 - Italy  
  Department Stores: Inc Impact of COVID-19 - Italy

  

  “Department stores in Italy are under assault from multiple directions at the moment, with intense competition from online generalists like Amazon, online pureplayers such as Zalando and YNAP, as well as store-based specialists with well-developed omnichannel business models. To survive, they need to focus on giving customers what these other rivals may not be so well able to and this means greater levels of individual customer service and making a visit to a department store a real experience. It is too early to quantify but the COVID-19 outbreak seems certain to have a significant impact on the department stores sector and especially market leader Rinascente, which derives 30% of its sales from tourists, in 2020, due to the government decree ordering the closure of non-essential stores.”– Michael Oliver, Senior Retail Analyst – 21st April 2020