The state of fashion: how Belgian retail moved in spring 2025
Spring brought another wave of change to the Belgian fashion market. Some retailers gained ground, others lost momentum, and shopper behaviour continued to shift.
Using Accurat’s MarketMonitor tool, we analysed footfall trends, visit share, and consumer patterns between 1 February and 15 May. The data shows a market shaped not just by weather, but by changing shopping habits, growing digital competition, and evolving brand positions.
While internal sales figures offer part of the picture, they often miss what’s happening beyond the store. Market-level behaviour reveals where customers are going, who is gaining visibility, and how brand dynamics are shifting across the landscape.
In a retail environment shaped increasingly by online-first players and low-cost platforms like Shein and Temu, having that broader perspective has become essential.
A cold start, then a March revival
Spring 2025 began with colder temperatures than the previous year—particularly in February. Despite fewer rainy days, the chill held back early footfall across shopping areas.
But by March, as temperatures rose, so did retail traffic—providing a notable uplift compared to the same month in 2024. Interestingly, this rebound came before Easter, which fell in April this year. In contrast, April traffic dipped again, suggesting other dynamics—such as changing consumer focus or shifting promotional calendars—played a stronger role later in the season.
Despite the fluctuating pattern, overall footfall across Belgium’s and The Netherland’s eight leading shopping streets rose by 1% compared to 2024. It’s a modest increase, but one that stands out in today’s increasingly digital retail landscape—showing that in-store shopping remains relevant, especially when timing and conditions align
Traffic dipped with the cold, as expected. But the overall lift this spring proves shoppers haven’t gone anywhere—if you know how to reach them.
Footfall winners and losers: brand shifts in motion
Looking at visit share reveals a shift in the competitive landscape.
🟢 E5 led the season with a 12% increase in visit share—a strong result that reflects its ongoing renewal in Belgium, including updated store concepts and efforts to reconnect with a broader audience.
🟢 Zara followed with a 6% gain, continuing to benefit from consistent brand appeal and well-placed stores in key shopping areas.
🟢 ZEB and Jack & Jones posted increases of 3% and 2%, respectively.
🔴 JBC slipped 6%. Parent company Claes Retail Group boosted profitability in 2024, but the cost discipline behind that result has not yet translated into higher footfall.
🔴 LolaLiza and C&A each fell by around 4%. C&A’s dip comes as the retailer continues a multi-year modernisation, refitting hundreds of European stores—a process that can temporarily suppress traffic.
⚪ H&M and Bel&Bo remained broadly stable, posting changes of less than one percentage point.
Zara also stood out in terms of visits per store, drawing almost 400% more visits than the average store in the market —underscoring its strength in both brand pull and retail execution.
What we’re seeing is that market position is never fixed. Even established players like C&A and JBC can lose ground quickly when leaner, more targeted competitors increase their relevance. We’re in a market where even long-established names can slip if they don’t stay aligned with what customers want.
These shifts offer clear signals. Visit share movements can reflect consumer sentiment before sales figures do—providing early opportunities for course correction or targeted campaign pushes.
Loyalty and frequency: understanding return visits
Beyond raw visits, loyalty and frequency give deeper insight into shopper engagement.
The most visited brands—Zara, H&M, C&A, JBC, and Bel&Bo—were also those with the highest return frequency. Customers didn’t just visit—they came back. That behaviour indicates stronger seasonal pull and brand alignment.
Just as telling is how customers combine brands. Visitors to Zara, C&A, and H&M were less likely than average to shop elsewhere during the same trip. Thanks to their broad assortment, these retailers are often able to meet a larger share of customer needs—reducing, though not eliminating, the tendency to visit multiple brands.
In contrast, retailers like ZEB or LolaLiza were more often part of a wider shopping journey—suggesting a supporting rather than dominant role. This is often linked to their focused target groups: they typically cater to men or women, but not to children, making them less suited for one-stop family shopping. As a result, shoppers are more likely to combine these visits with other brands to complete their trip. That opens doors to repositioning, partnerships, or reinforcing category strengths to increase relevance and retain share within multi-brand journeys.
Loyalty isn’t just about repeat visits—it’s about how self-sufficient your offer is. If your customers are combining you with multiple other stops, it says something about both your brand strength and your gaps.
Understanding where and why brand leakage occurs can help inform everything from in-season merchandising to marketing strategy.
A fashion market under pressure
All of this is happening within a retail environment that’s being reshaped at speed.
Digital-native brands have mastered agility. Chinese e-commerce platforms continue to drive pricing pressure. Consumers are making quicker decisions, often guided by mobile-first behaviours and algorithmic inspiration.
In this shifting context, retailers who stay closely attuned to behavioural data and move decisively will be best placed to thrive.
Looking ahead: why real-time visibility matters more than ever
In fashion retail, timing is everything—and 2025 has once again shown how quickly shopper behaviour can shift during high-impact moments.
Periods like Easter, mid-season promotions, back-to-school, and Christmas can drive disproportionate volumes of footfall and revenue. But their timing, weather context, and competitive dynamics vary every year.
That’s where in-season insight becomes essential. Accurat enables brands to see what's happening as it happens—not months later—helping them adapt assortment, campaigns, and store strategy in real time. And once the season ends, the same behavioural data serves as a foundation for sharper decisions in the next.
Whether you're in the middle of a key selling period or preparing for the next, real-world behaviour is the most reliable signal to steer by.