Generation Research is forecasting that global DF&TR sales will grow from its preliminary estimate of $46bn last year, to $52bn in 2012, although this will be dependent on a continuation of the strong sales growth evidenced in Asia and China in 2011, according to Generation President Yngve Bia.
 

On the face of it, such a forecast looks pretty healthy in US dollar terms, although it has to be seen in the context of last year’s estimated $46bn total, where conversion of local currencies into a weak US dollar, alongside industry price increases and inflation produced the +17.9% increase. After factoring these elements out, Bia says that the ‘real overall industry sales increase’ is more likely to have been around +9% and he expects this to be borne out when the full extent of analyses of these influences is finally determined.

Other top-line preliminary highlighted numbers already reported by The Business include a 20.1% rise in sales at Asia Pacific downtown shops which proved to be the ‘star performing channel’, while the Asia region as a whole returned sales growth of +22.9%. 

As already reported, other highlights included luxurygoods’ sales growing by ‘close to plus-20%’, while beauty rose by approximately +19% and tobacco by +11.6%.

[This story is a small extract from an exclusive interview with Generation’s Yngve Bia, which will appear later this week].