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Slovenia: Action opens first store in Slovenia in Velenje
Discount Variety Retail Chain Action is opening its first store in Slovenia today in the city of Velenje. Slovenia is the sixteenth country in which Action operates. From today, residents of Velenje and other visitors can enjoy the Action formula: 6,000 good-quality and increasingly sustainable products in 14 categories (ranging from Laundry & Cleaning and Personal Care to Toys & Entertainment, Do-It-Yourself or Garden & Outdoor) at the lowest price. Action introduces 150 new
1 hour ago2 min read


China: The Strategic rationale behind Lidl CEO McGrath’s exploratory visit
Discount Retail Chain Lidl Global CEO Kenneth McGrath recently made his first strategic trip to China, meeting with Wumart Group (Wumei) to explore opportunities in retail innovation. When contacted by DRC China for verification, Wumei stated that this was merely an industry exchange visit and that there are currently no formal cooperation or operational plans in place. With competition in China's hard discount sector heating up, is Lidl’s visit at this precise moment a simpl
2 hours ago6 min read


Germany: Lidl launches Brand-New Payment method
Discount Retail Chain Lidl Germany recently added Wero as an additional payment option on lidl.de. In online shopping, pricing and delivery times are not the only factors that matter—available payment methods can be equally decisive. Alongside established options like PayPal or credit cards, new alternatives are rapidly gaining traction. Among them is Wero, the European payment service already being adopted by major merchants. Now, customers can also complete their purchases
3 hours ago2 min read


Research: A higher private label share is not automatically a superior discount strategy.
Hard and soft discount retail models use private label, private brands or own brands as the primary engine of profitability, price leadership, and brand differentiation. However, uncontrolled penetration risks creating "assortment bloat"—adding unnecessary complexity, duplicating shopper needs, and diluting the core discounter principle of high volume per SKU. At DRC Discount Retail Consulting, we advocate shifting the executive focus away from a raw penetration target ("How
4 hours ago2 min read


USA: Is Aldi Pulling Walmart’s Core Budget Shoppers Away?
Discount Retail Chain Aldi USA is striking a cord with consumers actively tightening their belts, shows new analytics. Data from Big Chalk Analytics’ newly launched Trade-Off Consumer Dashboard reveals that one-third of U.S. households are adopting permanent value-seeking behaviors. Aldi is becoming a primary target for Walmart’s value seekers. 24% of Walmart trade-off shoppers are visiting Aldi more often (compared to 18% of overall Walmart shoppers). 48% of these budget-foc
4 days ago1 min read


Netherlands: Wibra launches Its own label laundry detergent line
Discount Variety Retail Chain Wibra is expanding its private label assortment with W-care, a new line of laundry detergents for white, colored, and dark laundry. The launch aligns with the retailer's positioning focused on affordable daily groceries and household products. The line consists of three variants: W-care White, W-care Color, and W-care Dark. The concentrated detergents are suitable for temperatures starting from 20 degrees Celsius and are sold in 1.5-liter bottles
6 days ago2 min read


Chile: Hard discounters change the way customers shop in Chile
Discount Retail in Chile is represented by Mass from the Peruvian holding company Intercorp; Liquimax, a Chilean capital venture part of the Lagos Group; and Don Salva, Cencosud's entry into this segment since May 2026, adding a major player to a category gaining prominence in the Chilean market. Consumers are engaging with this phenomenon digitally. A study by the consulting firm Simbiu, which analyzed six months of digital conversations regarding the hard discount segment,
6 days ago3 min read


Germany: Lidl launches Germany's first driverless goods lorry
Discount Retail Chain Lidl and Einride are testing a driverless electric truck in Edermünde. A Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) permit allows this type of vehicle in real-world operations for the first time. Discounter Lidl and transport company Einride have launched Germany’s first cabinless, autonomous electric heavy goods vehicle into real-world operations on public roads. The driverless vehicle operates in Edermünde, Hesse, near Kassel, traveling between a Lidl reg
6 days ago3 min read


Hungary: Lidl opens Logistics Centre large enough to house 36 stores
Discount Retail Chain Lidl Hungary has opened its largest logistics centre to date, in Kiskunfélegyháza, following an investment of nearly HUF 60 billion (€165 million). Constructed over two years, the 83,000-square-metre facility expands the retailer’s workforce to 10,500 by creating more than 400 regional jobs, with plans to hire an additional 50 staff members in the near future. The complex – large enough to house 36 standard Lidl stores – will streamline the supply chain
Sep 122 min read


Switzerland: Denner reverses course on Lidl strategy
Discount Retail Chain Denner, a Migros-owned discounter, presented another high-profile departure occurred this week. Head of Marketing Raphael Werner (42) is stepping down after just two years. It happened abruptly: Werner made his departure public on his own initiative without mentioning a new position. Surprisingly, just the week before, Werner received the industry's highest honor: "Best Marketing Officer of the Year." Further Departures Coming hat's not all: another seni
Sep 113 min read


Spain: Navigating European FMCG - A Dual-Market Strategy for Brand Growth
Discount retail chain Lidl España reached a private-label sales value share of 82.6% this year, with Mercadona close behind at 78.6%. The popular narrative suggests private labels are crushing national brands across the board, but the data tells a different story. FMCG sales directors know the market numbers, yet a client recently confessed his team is utterly exhausted—burning budget and morale trying to force secondary brands onto discounter shelves. Our advice to FMCG supp
Sep 112 min read


China: Unlocking Billion-Yuan Hero Products at an Exclusive Executive Advisory Session in Shanghai
On August 28, 2026, Discount Retail Consulting GmbH (DRC) took center stage alongside industry leaders in Shanghai at an exclusive, closed-door CEO Advisory Session (中国大消费CEO闭门私董会). Organized by the China Consumer CXO Innovation Center, the event brought together over 100 top retail decision-makers, consumer brand founders, and channel leaders to address one of the most critical challenges in modern retail: How to Efficiently Build Billion-Yuan Hero Products and Dominate Key
Sep 102 min read


China: Decoding Hard Discount & Private Label - DRC & Rayland Partners Host Executive Retail Workshop in Shenzhen
On July 18–19, 2026, Discount Retail Consulting GmbH (DRC), in strategic partnership with Rayland Partners (睿远联合) and Retail World Media, hosted an exclusive, closed-door International Retail CEO Workshop (国际零售CEO闭门研习会) at the C Central Hotel in Futian, Shenzhen. Designed for C-suite decision-makers, retail owners, category heads, and FMCG brand leaders, the intensive two-day masterclass delivered an operational blueprint on Hard Discount Retail Operations and Private Label P
Sep 102 min read


Australia: Aldi’s ‘dupes’: Where does clever lookalike become a copyright breach?
Discount Retail Chain Aldi has successfully used this dupe or “lookalike” strategy for decades. It’s a familiar experience for many Australians. Shopping at discount supermarket chain Aldi, you see an off-brand product that looks similar to a major brand’s product you know and love. You decide to buy it, because not only does it look familiar, it also costs much less than you would pay elsewhere. Aldi has successfully used this dupe or “lookalike” strategy for decades. Howeve
Sep 104 min read


China: Lidl shows first interest in China
Discount Retail Chain Lidl`s CEO Kenneth McGrath, global CEO of Lidl, visited last week China for the first time. Lidl a leading global discount supermarket brand and ALDI's fellow "German twin" competitor. Clearly, this inaugural visit indicates Lidl's current interest, or at least curiosity, regarding the Chinese market, especially following ALDI's success there. One of the public stops on McGrath's itinerary was a visit to Wumart Group. Wumart's main connection to Lidl lie
Sep 101 min read


Italy: PENNY to spend €200m on expanding network
Discount Retail Chain PENNY Italia has revealed plans to invest €200 million over the next three years strengthening its discount model in the country. In 2026, the REWE-owned chain plans to spend €72 million, and a total of about €200 million by the end of 2028 adding new stores, refurbishing others, and upgrading its logistics infrastructure and warehouses. It also plans to review its private-label assortment. “The group’s confidence translates into investments designed to
Sep 82 min read


Research: There's an interesting shift happening in retail China in 2026
A few years ago, everyone was bending over backwards to court the young middle class — refined packaging, online delivery, paid memberships, practically stamping "premium" on their foreheads. This year, several major players have suddenly turned around together and dived into communities, working hard for grandma and grandpa's grocery baskets. Leading the charge is Chao Hesuan NB. The name sounds bold, and after a year of operation, they've genuinely backed it up. While other
Sep 85 min read


China: Discount Retail in China not a Downgrade, but a Power Shift
Discount Retail Industry Report over the First Half 2026 shows more than 12,000 new discount stores opened across China, roughly 67 per day. Total sector sales reached around RMB 260 billion in 2025, with 2026 projected to top RMB 280 billion, an 8.3% year-on-year increase. The first-half 2026 numbers on China's discount retail sector all point in the same direction. Offline, Chao Hesuan NB added a net 141 stores in H1, doubling its city footprint from 12 to 24. JD Discount S
Sep 85 min read
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