Keystone-SDA
The vast majority of Swiss retailers are worried about competition from Asian online platforms like Temu and Shein. The resulting price pressure remains their number one concern in 2025, according to a survey.
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January 7, 2025 – 4:43 p.m.
(Keystone-ATS) More than 60% of businesses in Switzerland see the development of online platforms such as Temu, Shein or Amazon as worrying or very worrying, according to the 2025 sector barometer from the Swiss Retail Federation published on Tuesday. The umbrella association for retail in Switzerland surveyed 90 CEOs of member companies about their outlook and concerns for 2025.
In addition, no less than 70% of the companies surveyed strongly, or even very strongly, feel the weight of the Asian Temu and Shein on Swiss retail, compared to only 9% who find it weak. Mid-sized businesses in the non-food sector, in particular, are feeling the impact of these platforms very hard. Price pressure and the resulting competition remain the number one concern for Swiss retail in 2025.
Also in the top 5 concerns are the volatility of global politics (polarization, developments in the United States and China, wars in Ukraine and the Middle East), the torpor of the consumer climate, the growing pressure on margins as well as as the weak economic development observed in neighboring countries. SMEs are also very concerned about the general increase in regulatory pressure and the shortage of qualified personnel.
However, according to the Swiss Retail Federation barometer, the sector views the new year more positively than the previous year. No less than 79% of the companies surveyed believe that their turnover will remain average in 2025 despite difficult general conditions, whereas a year ago, more than one in three still expected a decline.
No more than 4% expect a result above average. In addition, the sector forecasts an average increase in prices of 1.2% for the whole of 2025, well below the 2.1% estimated the previous year.
