The high degree of diversification across many businesses, industries and regions again helped the ANWR Group in the pandemic. In 2021, the group increased its total business volume by 11 percent to €19.8 billion, and the financing of centralized settlement operations by its DZB Bank and Aktivbank were the main factors behind the positive development.
In view of the ongoing restrictions caused by the pandemic, the retail sector reduced order volumes. The purchasing volumes invoiced by the buying groups affiliated with ANWR – Sport 2000, Garant, Rexor and Goldkrone – in behalf of the affiliated retailers in Germany and other European countries with their contractual suppliers fell by 1.5 percent to just over €2.5 billion.
The sporting goods retail sector recorded a 5 percent increase in centralized invoices to over €1.3 billion, thanks above all to the new entry of major specialty retailers in Germany. The footwear sector ended the year with a 9 percent drop to €1.1 billion, while leathergoods scored a 13 percent increase to €100 million.
On the other hand; the DZB Bank and Aktivbank benefitted from a positive development in the central settlements made in behalf of retail cooperatives that do not belong to the ANWR Group, particularly in the sectors of building materials, wood, furniture, automotive, sanitary & heating, toys and bicycle, among others. Their overall business volume increased by 13.5 percent to €15.7 billion.
The ANWR Group expects a noticeable recovery in orders being placed for shoes, sporting goods and leathergoods in the second half of the year at the earliest, but they are not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels until 2023. The ongoing supply chain problems in many parts of the economy, which also affect the supply of products to retailers operating in these areas, are also contributing to this trend.
