According to him, four out of five merchants (81%, compared to 69% last year) will start with a minimum discount of 30%. For one in five (21%), it will even be immediate reductions of 50%. “More than half of the stores (58%) still have 40% or more of their products on the shelves. They also do not expect a fantastic end of the year to empty their stocks.” indicates the SNI in its press release.
That said, more than four in ten merchants (42.8%) report to the UCM that they made promotions in December. This could cushion the blow of negative forecasts.
Because the mood is clearly not festive. According to the UCM survey, about two in three merchants (64.2%) say their sales have declined over the past six months. More than three out of four (76.1%) now fear having to put the key under the doormat. Before the health crisis, in 2019, only 5.2% of respondents had reached this point.
The causes of the current decline are multiple according to the survey: decline in the purchasing power of customers, increase in energy factors, indexation of employee salaries and uncertainty linked to geopolitical events. “We must obviously not underestimate the influence of online purchases, which are still on the rise,” adds the SNI.
To get out of it, 75% of players surveyed by the UCM have lowered the temperature of their shop. 66% turn off illuminated signs outside opening hours. 48.5% have invested in lighting and 41.4% in heating in order to save energy.
In addition, the SNI considers that the staggering of winter sales is no longer a taboo: “One in two merchants today say they are not opposed to sales in February. This call for change comes mainly from retailers in mode. Perhaps this option should be reconsidered and discussed again”.
No less than 500 Walloon and Brussels traders answered the UCM’s questions. They are active in the equipment, personal care or decoration sectors. The consultation conducted by the SNI collected between 150 and 200 responses.