How Luxembourg consumers do their shopping in Luxembourg

CBRE has relaunched its survey among Luxembourg consumers following a first edition in 2019. During the first quarter of 2022 more than 1,000 Luxembourg consumers shared their shopping and consumption habits and preferences in the Grand Duchy. Respondents were equally divided according to age, income and family situation.

The aim of this survey was to find out if the last two years of the pandemic had had a real impact on the consumption habits of Luxembourg residents. Through their answers, the respondents confirmed that the crisis has indeed affected their purchasing habits and preferences, and this in different areas.

When we first asked households about their financial situation post-covid, two thirds of respondents said that it had remained unchanged since the pandemic. However, a large proportion of those with the lowest incomes said that they had suffered the most financially during this period.

This financial aspect has also led consumers to be more cautious. When asked "How have you evolved as a consumer after two years of Covid?", 61% of respondents said that they are now more careful with prices.

At the same time, there is also an increased awareness among consumers of the impact their purchases can have on the environment. Indeed, at a time when we are fighting global warming and trying to limit our impact on the environment, Luxembourg residents seem to be moving towards more sustainable and respectful consumption patterns, with a large proportion of respondents preferring to buy from local businesses, or to buy more biodegradable or ecological products, or even with reduced and environmentally friendly packaging.

The pandemic has had other effects, notably on online shopping and home deliveries, which have taken advantage of the two years of untimely store closures to continue to win the hearts of consumers. Nevertheless, physical shopping remains by far the most popular experience in Luxembourg, with 71% of consumers saying that their last purchases were made in a store.

And the shopping mall remains, as in 2019, the favorite place for Luxembourgers to shop, with 61% of respondents saying they go there at least once a week.

However, as mentioned above, consumers are still sensitive to online shopping, with nearly 60% of respondents having packages delivered to their home at least once a month.

But while e-commerce is gaining in popularity, physical shopping is still king. When asked whether the physical presence of stores would affect their online shopping behavior, 37% of respondents prefer to know that the online store they are shopping on has a physical store for follow-up services such as returns or complaints.

This shows that a multi-channel approach, where a retailer has both a physical and online presence, is likely to lead to better sales and customer loyalty, as other CBRE research on the subject has also shown.

Find our full report here

About CBRE Luxembourg

CBRE Luxembourg is part of CBRE Group, Inc. which is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, with 2020 revenues of $23.8 billion and more than 105,000 employees (excluding affiliate offices).

CBRE has been included on the Fortune 500 since 2008, ranking #128 in 2020. It also has been voted the industry’s top brand by the Lipsey Company for 20 consecutive years, and has been named one of Fortune’s “Most Admired Companies” for nine years in a row, including being ranked number one in the real estate sector in 2021, for the third consecutive year.

Its shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “CBRE.”’

In Luxembourg, more than 30 employees have been advising our clients on commercial real estate for nearly 13 years.