Rekordartet christmas shopping, but butikkdøden can accelerate

(Mallorca): In the period 2008 to 2016, the number of physical shops in Norway have been reduced by 10 per cent in Norway.

– the Norwegian trade is going to look fundamentally different about 10 years, and I think it means that we have far fewer shops than in the day, " says Harald Andersen, director of the Ministry of commerce, to Mallorca.

– the Reduction of physical stores is going to continue, and perhaps accelerate, he adds.

Record before christmas

christmas shopping struck, however, all records in the year, and may have been a small respite in an otherwise tough everyday life for Norwegian shops.

In the days before christmas acted, however, as never before, and from 1. to and with 24. of December in the year it was traded with the cards for over 55,3 billion in the Uk, up 1 percent from last year.

21. December became the new all-time high. In total, according to the Nets Norway this day performed in excess of 8.9 million buying hunting licence, which was an increase of 1.9 per cent from the same day last year. It was trading goods and services with debit cards for 3,94 billion, which is the highest by debit card in the Uk ever.

Stein-Arne Tjore, in the Nets Norway says to Obi.now that the numbers are sammenlingbare with previous years, and that most of this trade is in the shop. Netthandelen constitutes a relatively small part of this, and going according to Tether in addition to these figures.

About the good christmas shopping is sufficient to slow the increase in the number of bankruptcies is, however, more uncertain.

I am an optimist

In the end of september hosted the organization Serve its annual handelskonferanse.

this Year's conference was named "Retail Apocalypse", but Harald Andersen, director of the Ministry of commerce, sees yet not gloomy at the shopkeeper's future.

I am optimistic. The Norwegian retail trade has proven to be omstillingsdyktig and in Norgestoppen on productivity. The future of retail is bright and "up for grabs", but you can't believe that one can keep on as you always have done, " says Andersen to Mallorca today.

Harald Andersen, director of the Ministry of Commerce on Handelskonferansen 2018 Photo: Kilian Munch/Work Show more

Still, " he says that marginpress, price pressures, lower visits in physical stores and increased global competition places greater demands to the Norwegian handelsaktører.

It is good that the 350-kronersgrensen wound up, but I can't understand why one should let the English trade bleed in a further 13 months until 1. January 2020, " says Andersen, who believes that the vat exemption can be removed far more quickly.

Konkursøkning

In the course of the year has several, large companies passed over. Among other things, have Easier Lives, Spaceworld Soundgarden, PM and to the table gone bankrupt in 2018.

In september notified analyseselskapet Bisnode that the Norwegian industry was on its way towards konkursrekord.

At the end of august there had been several bankruptcies and tvangsavviklinger the latest 12 months than after the financial crisis in 2009.

Only in august registered Bisnode an increase of 22,4 per cent in clean of bankruptcies, and the increase was 13.1 per cent within the retail industry, writes Finansavisen.

In the subsequent months fell konkurstallene, but the increase in clean of bankruptcies in the retail sector has been significantly greater than the increase for the entire industry.

– Konkursøkningen in trade is not due to bad times. Any number of macroeconomic figures, lønnsomhetstall and the unemployment rate goes in a positive direction. The trade is characterised by structural changes, " says kredittøkonom Per Einar Ruud in Bisnode.

Pr. november saw the number of clean of bankruptcies in the retail sector increased to 17.6 percent from last year.

the Trade have generally lower margins, but an average operating margin of 1.5 per cent is very low. Then one has not a lot to go on, " he says to the newspaper.

For comparison, the Norwegian gjennomsnittsbedriften an operating margin of 5.5 per cent.

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