Independent fashion retailers anticipate a successful and busy sales period as the clearance season kicks off today, according to Isolde Delanghe, director of Mode Unie.
Delanghe expressed optimism, saying that the cold weather and Christmas holidays create favourable conditions for high footfall in shops during the discount season. She emphasised that businesses are well-prepared to meet demand.
The winter retail season has been challenging for many clothing stores due to mild weather, which limited demand for cold-weather clothing. Retailers now hope the sales season can help turn things around.
In Belgium, shops can offer heavily discounted items under the “sales” label only during January and July. Regulations require that goods sold at reduced prices have been available for at least 30 days beforehand.
Many shop owners prepared for the sales period with combined promotional offers. Prices were finalised on Friday, ahead of what is expected to be a busy opening day, driven by colder temperatures and a holiday atmosphere.
During the clearance period, consumers often prefer visiting brick-and-mortar shops instead of online retailers, Delanghe noted, enjoying the atmosphere and interaction that physical shops provide.
Nico Volckeryck, regional director of entrepreneurs’ association NSZ in Antwerp, urged shoppers to support small fashion retailers by making conscious purchasing choices. These independent stores face stiff competition from Chinese platforms like Shein and Temu.
Volckeryck criticised these webshops as “silent killers” for small businesses, adding that local shops offer higher-quality goods that often prove more economical in the long run than mass-produced, low-cost items.
Such online retailers have been clearing stock for months, he noted, while the sales season represents a critical opportunity for small retailers to reward loyal customers and sustain their businesses.
