At the invitation of Georg Wailand (Gewinn), top experts and managing directors presented the "latest trends in retail" at this year's MMM symposium, including Federal Minister Martin Kocher, Martina Duzler (MPreis), Oliver Seda (Hervis), Paul Douay (Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield), Harald Flatscher (PSA Payment Services Austria) and, as in the previous year, Christoph Teller and Ernst Gittenberger (IHaM).

In a tried and tested double conference, Teller/Gittenberger analysed current economic developments in retail, inflation and price increases and their effects on the shopping behaviour of Austrians. The retail economy in Austria continues to lag behind the European trend, whereby the price increases in Austria are currently below the EU-27 average for food and above the EU-27 average for energy.

Consumers are reacting with continued purchasing restraint in the retail trade, but are willing to spend a little more for products "Made in Austria". Apart from the price issue, however, Austrians give "good" marks to the stationary retail trade.

The economic outlook for 2023 as a whole remains gloomy. A sustainable recovery in consumer sentiment is not expected until 2024 and then inflation must first be removed from consumers' minds, Teller/Gittenberger conclude.