Status: 01/21/2023 4:30 p.m
After the rather meager Christmas business, consumers are wooed with real and supposed bargains at the beginning of the year. In which sectors the discount battle is raging and where it’s really worth it.
The Christmas business is done – the result is mixed: A survey of 400 retail companies from all sectors by the German Retail Association (HDE) showed that only a quarter of the retailers surveyed are satisfied with the course of the all-important Christmas business. “The development of sales and customer frequencies fell short of the expectations of many dealers,” says HDE General Manager Stefan Genth. Compared to 2021, sales fell by four percent.
Christmas doldrums beneficial for consumers?
But not only stationary trade is weakening, online trade is also feeling the lack of desire to buy. After strong corona pandemic years, sales fell by around 4.5 percent compared to 2021.
For consumers, however, this could mean advantages: If the shops cannot sell their goods as planned before Christmas, there should actually be big discounts in January.
Bargains in the bike industry
There are currently overcrowded warehouses at bicycle dealers such as Frank Bering in Friedberg, Hesse. Throughout the pandemic, there were supply chain issues, demand was high, and supply was scarce. Now the situation has turned 180 degrees, says Bering. In the past few months he has received orders for 2021 and 2022, and the models for 2023 are already around the corner.
In numbers, this means that there are currently three times as many bikes in the warehouse and even specially set up containers in the yard. The selection of bicycles has never been larger and the prices for them more attractive than at the moment. Big offer, lots of discounts. Florian Krieger from the price comparison portal Idealo can confirm this for the entire bicycle industry: According to his evaluation, there are up to 300 percent more offers, which is also reflected in the price development.
60 percent discount on technology and household appliances
The big electronics dealers also advertise with high discounts. However, you should be careful here, advises Krieger from Idealo. Fantasy prices or the non-binding sales recommendation (RRP), which are far removed from the market prices, are often used as a basis.
Electronics retailer Werner Schmidt from euronics in Frankfurt also explains that the supply chain problems in the electronics and household goods sector still exist. Customers still have to wait up to a year for certain models, so discounts are currently neither possible nor necessary.
Toys a slow seller after Christmas?
And what about toys? Despite inflation: Christmas was not saved on children. And so the toy industry has once again achieved record sales. Are prices tumbling now that demand is falling? No, says toy dealer Wieland Sulzer from Marburg. “It’s the case with toys, the lowest price is actually asked in the Christmas business, because everyone advertises toys, because that’s when the demand is highest”.
In addition, nowhere else is there such high competition as in the toy industry. Drugstores, discounters, department stores: they all offer toys at competitive prices during the Christmas season. If you don’t keep up here, you’re missing out on the most important business of the year. And that is not done in January, but before Christmas. Basically, bargains can now be found all year round in every industry. The typical winter sale is long overdue.