14.08.2024
With regard to the results of a company survey conducted by the KfW banking group and supported by the German Retail Association (HDE), the HDE draws attention to the noticeably tense financing climate in the retail sector. According to the survey, a third of the retail companies surveyed rate access to credit as difficult.
“The financing climate in retail has deteriorated. However, the equity situation of retailers has improved since the end of the Corona crisis,” said HDE General Manager Stefan Genth. In the twelve months before the survey began, almost half of the retail companies surveyed, and thus an almost constant proportion of companies, had conducted loan negotiations, with larger companies doing so significantly more frequently. According to the survey, the equity situation of companies as a whole has stabilized since the end of the Corona crisis. Retail also reports a slight improvement in equity ratios.
As the survey shows, the issue of sustainability is becoming an increasing focus for companies. The reasons for this development are corresponding customer requirements, the assumption of social responsibility and legal requirements. “The requirements of investors also play a role here. Sustainability is important for many types of loans, especially for larger companies,” Genth continues.
Since 2001, the KfW banking group, together with professional and regional associations of the German economy, has been conducting a broad-based survey of companies on their financing situation and their financing habits. The HDE supports the survey.
