Retailing in Belgium: A managerial perspective

Abstract

Belgium’s retailing landscape is unique in Europe in numerous ways. This country report presents retailing in Belgium specifically from a managerial perspective. First, the situation in the food- and non-food retail sector is discussed, highlighting some key players, their competitive strategies and results on the Belgian market. Second, Porter’s Five Forces Framework is applied to analyze the competitiveness of the retail industry in Belgium. In particular, we discuss some recent and potential major entrants, such as the large-scale shopping center projects in the region of Brussels. Additionally, the balance of power between retailer and supplier is concretized by analyzing the role of private labels and the price wars that have recently characterized the grocery retail market. The current state of e-commerce in Belgium is presented together with an outlook on online retailing and finally, some key differences in the retail scenery in Flanders, Wallonia, and the Brussels Conurbation are presented.