Manufacturers’ brands lose out

E-commerce is booming, with sales expected to exceed a volume of one billion US dollars in 2016 for the first time. Europe, USA, Asia or Latin America: wherever you look, shopping on the internet is experiencing double-digit growth. That is one message coming from the 63rd International Retail Summit of the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute in Zürich. As a result, retailers will have to reinvent themselves and put more effort into opening up to the internet. Business that networks across all the channels of distribution is not only ensuring the sector’s survival but also providing additional sales. Two consequences of this development: stores are increasingly turning into showrooms offering that special experience, together with style and ambience, while product brands and manufacturers’ brands are driving growth; private labels are expected to become less significant.