Stationary Retail Remains Strong, Study Finds

Good news for brick-and-mortar stores! A new study shows inpatient trade isn’t going anywhere.It also highlights opportunities to better meet consumer needs, focusing on the in-store experience.

Rainer Treelik, chairman of the federal division trade in Austria (WKÖ), summarized the key findings of the “Elevate Retail Design 2025” study. Holistic Consulting GmbH conducted the research wiht scientific support from the private university schloss Seeburg and backing from the WKÖ. They presented the results at the Trading Day 2025 event.

Similar studies were already completed in Germany and Switzerland in 2024. The core question: How can physical stores thrive amidst growing online competition, especially from asian platforms? And what truly attracts shoppers to stores?

Researchers interviewed over 1,000 Austrians, aged 16 to 74. They wanted a complete picture of the shopping experience, both in stores and online.

The Stationary trade Lives On

“A key finding is that physical retail can absolutely continue to succeed,” says markus Schweizer, study author and CEO of Holistic Consulting. “Consumers value the immediate experience and the ability to see, touch, and compare products before buying.” He believes this extends to sectors like drugstores and beauty, where experiencing products through touch, testing, and smell is crucial.

Currently, 85.3% of groceries are purchased in physical stores in Austria. For drugstore and beauty items, it’s 76.3%. However, the textile sector sees only 45.9% in-store purchases, likely due to increased competition from Asia.

Asian online platforms are growing quickly and gaining traction. Around 50% of respondents have already shopped on one of these platforms at least once. Temu, in particular, is experiencing rapid growth.