Shoe retailers across Westfield shopping centres have faced a difficult 2025, with full-year sales in the category down 0.9 per cent year-on-year.
Westfield’s parent company, Scentre Group, confirmed the statistics in a trading update today.
It does appear that sales improved among footwear retailers as the year progressed, with the sales in the six months to December 31, 2025, down 0.3 per cent and were up 1.1 per cent in the final quarter.
Fashion sales appeared more elevated, with sales among fashion retailers up 3.6 per cent in the full-year 2025, up 4.5 per cent in the second half and up 4 per cent in the final quarter.
Jewellery retailers led the charge, with retail sales in this category up 7.8 per cent in the full-year, 8.3 per cent in the second half and up 10 per cent in the final quarter.
Other than footwear, the only other category reporting slips in sales was homewares, with sales in that category down 1.6 per cent in the full year, but up 0.7 per cent in the final quarter.
Total specialties retail sales across Westfield centres grew 4.8 per cent in the full year and were up 5.7 per cent in the final quarter.
Scentre Group also reported that both discount department stores and premium department stores had subdued spending growth as well. Discount department stores saw a full-year sales growth of just 0.6 per cent, while premium department stores grew just 0.4 per cent in the same time frame.
In the last quarter, discount department store sales grew 1.1 per cent, while premium department stores saw a 1.4 per cent lift.
Across the regions, Western Australia and South Australia performed stronger, with their total retail sales up 6 per cent and 6.5 per cent, respectively. The larger states of New South Wales and Victoria were more modest, with sales up 3.5 per cent and 3.1 per cent respectively.
Westfield’s New Zealand market, where it operates five centres, saw sales grow just 0.1 per cent in the full-year 2025.
“Our strategy is to grow the economic activity that occurs at each of our 42 Westfield destinations located throughout Australia and New Zealand,” Scentre Group CEO Elliott Rusanow said. “This strategy continues to deliver strong operating performance and continued growth in earnings.
“Our focus is to attract more people to our destinations and give them reasons to stay longer when they are with us.”