How has retail developed in times of multiple challenges and in which areas is there a silver lining? After the pandemic years of 2020 to 2022, wars, inflation and upheavals in the labor market have dominated the last two years. In 2024, Austrian retailers had to cope with stagnating sales, high energy costs and the most bankruptcies of any industry. All of this has left a clear mark on the market.
At the same time, retail has once again proven that it is one of the most exciting, innovative sectors of the economy and is an absolute pioneer in areas such as artificial intelligence, retail media and the circular economy.
We would like to take this as an opportunity to provide a status update on the situation in Austrian retail and an outlook for the 2025 financial year as part of our traditional New Year’s press conference. As part of this, we will also present a structural balance sheet to substantiate the industry’s key political demands.
- Value creation: What economic relevance does Austrian trade have?
- Structural development: How did trading develop in 2024 as a whole?
- View from practice: How are leading Austrian companies in various retail sectors doing?
- Cost development: KV wage increases, additional energy costs, CPI adjustments for rent and lease and increases in operating costs are putting pressure on the industry. What are the consequences?
- Innovation & Technologie: What are the most important future issues and how well positioned is retail already?
- Political demands: What recommendations do the final decision-makers in retail make to improve the competitiveness of Austria as a business location?
- Outlook 2025: What are the prospects for a sustainable upswing?
All of these questions will be answered in our hybrid press conference on Wednesday, January 15th, from 9:30 a.m. in the APA press center. Following the PK, the participating media representatives can ask further questions.
Your conversation partners:
- Eva Posan | Managing Director Finance, MediaMarkt Austria | HV Presidential Councilor
- Karin Reisinger | Members of the management, dm Austria
- Nicole Reitinger | Chief Financial Officer, IKEA Austria | HV Presidential Councilor
- Harald Gutschi | Managing Director, OTTO Austria | HV Vice President
- Norbert Scheele | Head of European Expansion, C&A | HV-Vizepräsident
- Stephan Mayer-Heinisch | President of Trade Association
- Rainer Will | Managing director of trade association
The press conference will take place hybrid. You are cordially invited on site, but you can also follow the PK online. Please send your registration promptly by email to: gerald.kuehberger@handelsverband.at
New Year’s press conference of the Austrian trade
Online participation possible, link will be provided after registration
Datum: January 15, 2025, 9:30 a.m. – January 15, 2025, 10:30 a.m
Art: Press conference
Ort: APA Press Center
Laimgrubengasse 10
1060 Wien
Austria
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