COVID-19 impact on retailer sentiments in Algeria 

Retailers globally have all been hit hard by the imposition of containment measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in their local markets. In Algeria, retail sales have been heavily impacted when curfews and lockdowns came into effect across cities in the market since March 22.

According to a retailer sentiment survey for independent stores conducted by GfK in this market, the one common major challenge faced by 51 percent Telecom retailers and 47 percent of TCG stores is stock shortage. The other challenge highlighted by the retailers is managing structural and operating cost, although only 20 percent of retailers in Algeria said they are facing this issue.

In effort to improve sales performance, retailers in the market are finding alternative solutions, the most common being expanding their coverage for home delivery service and promoting their products on social media. Meanwhile, the majority of retailers have chosen to do nothing and just waiting it out.

Meanwhile, a quarter of the retailers (25%) are expecting that this pandemic will prevail till the end of 2020 and 55 percent are unsure when the conditions would get back to normal. An optimistic 13 percent are hopeful it will to get better after Ramadan, in June.

GfK’s retailer sentiment study was conducted across 100 independent TCG retailers and Telecom shops in Alegeria, to gain a better understanding of the COVID-19's impact on retailers and how they are coping with the situation.