Here comes the sun!

In July 2022, Tromsø saw only 140 hours of sunlight, but things were different last year. The number of sunlight hours increased by 65 to a total of 205. Unfortunately, things went the other way in Stavanger. They saw 24 fewer hours of sunlight.

The Norwegian summer and the Norwegian clothing market have a lot in common. For one thing, both are hard to predict. Another similarity is that there are major local differences. Thirdly, you have to make the most of whatever weather you get.

Everyone knows that the Norwegian summer weather is local, unpredictable, and unstable. You can go from brilliant sunny skies to a downpour in just a few minutes. Nonetheless, us Norwegians are optimists. No matter how many times the rain may spoil our picnic plans, we’re always ready to have another go. The moment we see a sunbeam, we hop out onto our balconies, light up the grill and cast a hopeful glance at the sunset we might get to see. We’re world champions at making the most of a situation.

That’s how things are at Texcon, too. Everyone was worried that 2024 would be a tough year, and it has been. Quite simply put, it has gotten harder to run a business. There are a lot of goods out there, and some are concerned about gross earnings.

Even so, most Texcon members are currently able to match their top line from last year. They are able to tempt, capture, and satisfy customers. Sales are good and they’re doing well. In total, Texcon has seen a 10% growth this year so far.

Some dark clouds remain on the horizon. This year’s wage settlements entail increased expenses. There is still pressure in the labour market, and when we look at the growth in turnover across the entire industry, it is lower than the increase in prices. This means that some of the major chains have seen a decrease in their actual revenue this year. If things fail to turn around soon, then we can be quite certain that they will take action – resorting to SALES to “buy” turnover.

For Texcon members, it will therefore be important to have faith in our own concepts, exercise good salesmanship, and to improve even further in the areas where we already excel: The specialist trade – quality service and quality customer experiences.

Mind you, the wage settlements aren’t just bad news. Statistics Norway now expects real wage increases in 2024. Buying power goes up and people get a little more money to spend. As a deft salesperson, you stand to profit from that.

Another bit of good news for the summer is that even more Norwegians will be opting to spend their holiday in Norway this year, and that the flow of tourists from abroad will rise sharply.

Don’t forget that tourists, who won’t know anything about your shop, must be drawn in as well.  Once they enter your shop, they have to encounter something and someone who matches their holiday mood. 

And finally: It may really be an advantage that you can’t quite trust the Norwegian summer. One day may be hot, and customers may be looking for something linen, some new shorts or a new dress. But then things turn around – and now they need two or three layers. 

Have a nice summer!

Thomas