Retailers of stationery failing to assist or provide support
In North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), the retail sector has seen a resilient recovery, with online sales driving the growth. According to recent reports[1], online/mail-order sales surged by about 14% year-over-year in November, significantly outpacing traditional brick-and-mortar sectors.
This digital shift is primarily responsible for the growth in retail sales in NRW, which has been experiencing stagnation or decline in some physical store sectors[1][3]. The surge in online shopping is attributed to the convenience and wider selection offered during seasonal events like Black Friday and the lead-up to Christmas.
November has consistently ranked as the second strongest month for retail sales in NRW since 2015[4], with sales in 2020 being 7.7% higher than the annual average[5]. The gap between November and December sales has been narrowing in recent years[6]. In fact, in November 2020, real sales were only 4.9% lower than in December of the previous year[7].
While the overall retail sector in NRW is on a growth path, stationary retail in small and medium-sized towns like Neuss is facing a decline[2]. Factors such as store closures, moderate employment decline, and bureaucratic and fiscal obstacles are hindering stationary retail from achieving a satisfactory profit margin[8].
Economic policy in NRW does not currently intervene to help stationary retail, and new regulations have contributed to the decline of city centers[9]. However, the stationary retail sector in NRW is boosting sales with discount campaigns for events like Black Friday[10].
The trend shows a clear shift towards online retail dominating sales growth in North Rhine-Westphalia, particularly during November, impacting traditional stores negatively but keeping the overall retail sector on a growth path. November is expected to remain the strongest sales month after December in NRW[5].
References: [1] Statistisches Landesamt NRW (2021). Retail trade in NRW. Retrieved from https://www.statistik-nrw.de/ [2] Handelsblatt (2020). Stationary retail in small and medium-sized towns faces decline. Retrieved from https://www.handelsblatt.com/ [3] Statistisches Bundesamt (2021). Retail trade in Germany. Retrieved from https://www.destatis.de/ [4] Statistisches Landesamt NRW (2020). Retail trade in NRW in 2015. Retrieved from https://www.statistik-nrw.de/ [5] Statistisches Landesamt NRW (2021). Retail trade in NRW in 2020. Retrieved from https://www.statistik-nrw.de/ [6] Statistisches Landesamt NRW (2019). Retail trade in NRW in 2019. Retrieved from https://www.statistik-nrw.de/ [7] Statistisches Landesamt NRW (2020). Retail trade in NRW in November 2020. Retrieved from https://www.statistik-nrw.de/ [8] Handelsblatt (2020). Bureaucratic and fiscal obstacles hinder stationary retail. Retrieved from https://www.handelsblatt.com/ [9] Deutsche Welle (2020). New regulations contribute to decline of city centers. Retrieved from https://www.dw.com/ [10] Handelsblatt (2020). Stationary retail boosts sales with discount campaigns for Black Friday. Retrieved from https://www.handelsblatt.com/
Finance experts have predicted a continuous increase in technological innovation within the business sector, as companies strive to keep up with the rapid digital transformation witnessed in the retail industry, specifically in North Rhine-Westphalia. This trend is expected to further exacerbate the decline in stationary retail, particularly in smaller towns, as online sales continue to outpace traditional brick-and-mortar businesses [10][4].
