Hameln in a buying frenzy: Customers are holding back – dealers are alerted!

Hameln in a buying frenzy: Customers are holding back – dealers are alerted!

In Hameln, both retailers and customers are feeling the changes in shopping behavior. Even though the official summer sales have not existed for over 20 years, many stores take the opportunity to wave deals in the last weeks of July and the first days of August. But the general consumer mood seems to be rather subdued, as some retailers impressively report. Alexandra Wieting from the Mengedoht shoe store is observing a noticeable decline in sales figures and notes that, due to inflation, many people prefer to save their money for visits to restaurants rather than for new shoes.

Holger Wellner from the Wellner fashion house, on the other hand, sees the sales of his summer collection as satisfactory, but notes that the pressure to sell it is not particularly high. He also recognizes that psychological factors play a crucial role in consumer behavior, especially given competition from Asian online retailers such as Temu and Shein.

Customers are looking for new purchasing sensations

Manvir Singh from LaVie also shows how shopping habits are changing. He complains about a steady decline in sales and attributes this not only to the bad weather, but also to the lack of customers. However, some businesses are definitely positive. Judith Ostendörfer and Marisol Bärbock from Prontamoda report consistent sales figures, which they attribute primarily to their careful purchasing. Ostendörfer also notes that many retailers launched their summer collections too early.

A look at the consumption trends in Germany shows that the general mood among consumers is more optimistic than last year. According to a new analysis by IFH FÖRDERER, this trend is slowly changing; While 83% of buyers paid attention to offers in 2023, this number drops to 79% in 2024. The willingness to make emotional and spontaneous purchases is also growing, which brings new opportunities for retailers. An increase in retail volume of 23 billion euros is expected between October 2023 and July 2024, which could give stationary retail some impetus to assert itself against online competition, as [Statista](https://de.statista.com/themen/2212/trends-im-einkaufs Behavior-in-deutschland/) reports.

Price pressure and changing purchasing behavior

Stationary retail continues to see itself under pressure from international chains and low-cost online providers. Nevertheless, the number of people who regularly shop for leisure remains stable. Many consumers still prefer traditional stores, especially when purchasing groceries, DIY and gardening supplies, and furniture. Quality and personal service play a central role here.

Some customers, such as Astrid Sporleder and her family, are loyal fans of stationary retail and rarely order online. Gerda Murgatroyd and Inge Sacher regularly visit the city center, but notice that they are buying less because they feel prices are rising. It remains to be seen how consumer sentiment will develop and what strategies retailers will develop in order to survive successfully in this changing market environment. The changes are not only noticeable locally, but also reveal a broader trend that influences the entire retail landscape and may also open up new opportunities here.