Discount Variety Retail Chain MR DIY began as a single hardware store in July 2005 on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, founded by Tan Yu Yeh. It has since grown into the largest home improvement retailer in the region, with over 1,300 stores in Malaysia . And presently listed on the Malaysian and Indonesian stock exchange. MR DIY shown that when you mix variety, price, and an agile shopping experience, growth is unstoppable. Global data (June 2025): 5,000+ operational stores in 14 countries, including outside of all countries in Southeast Asia and India, it is also active in Spain, Turkey, Poland and South Africa. Worldwide we opened more than 1,000 stores in 2023, an average of ~3 new stores per day. IPOs in all markets present When MR. DIY landed in Spain in 2022, many thought it would be "just another store". The goal is clear: 300 stores in Spain Becoming one of the most ambitious retail projects in Europe Demonstrate that the Spanish consumer values proximity, convenience and savings Working on this challenge is to experience a new opening, a new city, a new challenge every week. MR DIY is not just "a DIY store" MR DIY has household, hardware, gifts, jewellery & cosmetics, sports, decoration, car and bike accessories toys, stationery, cleaning..., mainly directly sourced from China and distributed via its own national central warehouses to its national stores. With more than 18,000 product references, "Always Low Prices" and a familiar standardised shopping experience. MR. DIY is here to stay. And it comes with ideas... and passion! #smartdiscount #mrdiy #malaysia #spain #standardisation #expansion #growth #development #drc #discount #retail #consulting #discountretail #discountretailconsulting #retailconsulting #google

Discount Retail Chain Aldi USA won over more American shoppers, as grocery prices rose in 2024. Aldi’s relatively small stores offer fewer product options than competitors, but also lower prices, as 90% of Aldi’s products are private label. (In January, it issued its first-ever Price Leadership Report, which calculated an average cost savings of 36% over other grocery chains.) “Value is as top of mind as it’s ever been for consumers,” says Jason Hart, CEO of Aldi USA. Aldi’s “simple and efficient approach to grocery retail…saves customers money and time.” The fastest-growing grocer in the U.S. (and third largest by number of locations) opened 120 stores in 2024 and plans to open a company-record 225 more this year, part of a five-year plan to add 800 stores. Aldi, which has never offered single-use plastic bags, uses natural refrigerants in 700 stores“ more than every other retailer in the country,” Hart says and plans to end use of any polluting refrigerants by 2035, one of the first U.S. food retailers to make this commitment. Read more: Aldi: 2025 TIME100 Most Influential Companies | TIME #smartdiscount #aldi #usa #expansion #time100 #2025 #timemagazine #pricing #inflation #growth #drc #discount #retail #consulting #discountretail #discountretailconsulting #retailconsulting #google

New US study reveals private label store brands are blurring the marketplace. Results show that 72% of surveyed consumers failed to do differentiate between side-by-side images of store-brand and national-brand products. Private-label brands are creating shopper confusion, according to a new study from global retail platform First Insight. The study, “The Quiet Takeover of Private Label,” indicates that traditional distinctions between private labels and national brands have become so subtle that most consumers can’t tell the difference. Results show that 71% of surveyed consumers believed they could recognize a private label when making a purchase, but 72% failed to do so when shown side-by-side images of store-brand and national-brand products. The new data adds an interesting angle to Mondelez International’s claim that Aldi is violating trademark law by selling private-label versions of some of its most popular products, including Oreos, Wheat Thins, Nutter Butters, Chips Ahoy!, and more. Mondelez International is now suing Aldi, claiming the discount grocer copied its packaging designs. “Defendant’s actions are likely to deceive and confuse consumers and dilute the distinctive quality of Mondelez’s unique product packaging, and if not stopped, threaten to irreparably harm Mondelez and its valuable brands,” the lawsuit states. The First Insight study shows that shoppers enjoy finding “the dupe.” Nearly half (47%) of consumers say they’ve tried a private-label product specifically because it was a duplicate of a name-brand item. In addition, 44% of shoppers, including 70% of those earning more than $150,000 per year, say they’re more likely to try a private label if it’s marketed as a dupe of a high-end product. Private label also continues to gain a strong foothold in the grocery marketplace. During the first quarter of 2025, store brands outperformed commercial brands in both dollar and unit sales across all U.S. retail outlets, according to the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA). Private label captured 21.5% of the market share in dollar sales and 23.7% in unit sales during the quarter, according to data from Circana. In each of Circana’s last 30 monthly reports, store brands have finished ahead of national brands in year-over-year data. “Shoppers aren’t loyal to brand names the way they used to be,” said Greg Petro, CEO of First Insight. “They’re loyal to price, quality, and marketing. This creates a highly competitive arena where the best, yet not necessarily the most well-known, brands will win.” Other insights from the First Insight study include: 77% of consumers are not concerned with how they are perceived for purchasing private-label products While 48% of consumers still identify as brand loyal, more than half say they are either brand curious or motivated by price and savings More than seven in ten consumers say they would be willing to try a private label if their preferred national brand was out of stock Once consumers make the switch and feel satisfied, 45% say they have permanently switched from a national brand to a private label when the product met or exceeded expectations 66% of consumers say they recommend private-label products to friends and family, and 34% say they’re more likely to shop at a retailer specifically because of its private-label offerings Read more: Private label or national brand? Most consumers can’t tell #smartdiscount #privatelabel #storebrands #ownbrands #whitelabels #plma #usa #research #customer #recognition #drc #discount #retail #consulting #discountretail #discountretailconsulting #retailconsulting #google

Discount Retail Chain Aldi Spain will focus on communities such as Andalusia, Catalonia and the Valencian Community. Discounter Aldi continues with its ambitious expansion plan in Spain. In the next six months, the German company plans to open 20 new supermarkets in the domestic market, bringing the total number of its stores to more than 500 by the end of the 2025 financial year. Specifically, this summer alone Aldi will raise the shutters on four new supermarkets located in Andalusia, Catalonia and the Valencian Community, which will mean the hiring of 280 workers for these stores. According to the company, before September it will exceed 480 establishments open in the Spanish market. The openings are part of the company's annual growth plan, which includes about 40 openings and will accelerate before the end of the year. The figure follows in the wake of the last three years, in which the German chain has opened 127 stores in the country (42 stores in 2022, 48 in 2023 and 37 in 2024). "We have developed a solid expansion plan in Spain in recent years, with the aim of bringing our purchasing model based on quality and low prices to a greater number of households," Aldi explained last January. Focus on the whole country In this growth process, communities such as Andalusia stand out. Aldi already had a hundred stores in the region at the end of 2024 and will once again strengthen its presence in the coming months, once again becoming one of the regions with the most openings in 2025. New supermarkets are scheduled to open between June and July in the Malaga municipality of Vélez-Málaga and in the province of Almeria. In addition, Aldi has opened new stores in Galicia located in Sanxenxo (Pontevedra) and Oleiros (A Coruña), while in the Community of Madrid it has opened supermarkets in Leganés, Las Rozas and the capital. In the Balearic Islands, Aldi has opened a new store in Palma de Mallorca, while in the Valencian Community it will open another in Alicante. In total, the German chain has more than 100 stores in Andalusia and Catalonia, and has opened about 80 in the Valencian Community, closely followed by the Community of Madrid, with 70. In Murcia, the Basque Country, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands it is close to twenty. Read more: Aldi to open 20 new stores in Spain before the end of the year #smartdiscount #aldi #spain #expansion #growth #development #opening #stores #drc #discount #retail #consulting #discountretail #discountretailconsulting #retailconsulting #google

Discount Retail Chain Aldi Netherlands is the biggest riser in the latest edition of this survey (measured at the end of May, beginning of June). In recent years, Aldi has invested heavily in the formula in all kinds of areas. The first signs of recovery were already visible in the Supermarket Compass of a year ago. This recovery is now continuing in an enhanced form and is now bringing Aldi to second place among the national supermarket formats. In the positioning matrix of the Supermarket Compass, Aldi shows a significant improvement in terms of both price image and image of assortment/service & basic-order/store execution. The better perception among regular customers that the survey shows now also seems to be paying off for Aldi in significantly higher market shares, as data & insights agency Hiiper recently reported a few times. An important pillar of the current success is a significantly improved price image. Not only among Aldi's regular customers, but also beyond. Aldi is full on radio and TV with price messages. These also seem to be paying off now. When asked to the general Dutch public which supermarket formula is the cheapest in the Netherlands, Aldi is mentioned most often. Compared to regular customers of all other formats, regular Aldi customers most often view paper supermarket brochures. Regular Aldi customers also look most often at digital brochure sites, according to the survey. More than just price As Marco Maatman told the large numbers of Aldi staff present this morning, it is not only price that strikes at Aldi. Aldi is now also receiving higher scores on many other aspects. The improved price image seems to work as a kind of flywheel. In short, a nice appreciation from customers for Aldi. Prize and promo have been gaining structural popularity for years. But the most recent measurement of the Supermarket Compass also shows that there are indeed products for which the customer in the supermarket is willing to pay something extra. This willingness is there, also at Aldi, especially for organic products, products with a significantly higher quality and local products. Read more: Supermarktkompas: Aldi in de prijzen na knap herstel - platform voor managers in de levensmiddelenhandel en -industrie #smartdiscount #aldi #netherland #award #price #leadership #customersatisfaction #drc #discount #retail #consulting #discountretail #discountretailconsulting #retailconsulting #google

Discount Retail Chain Poundland got financing of Gordon Brothers up to £80 million in financing to support the management team’s proposed restructuring and turnaround plan for the British discount retailer. The company will use the facility for working capital to support its go-forward strategy. Founded in 1990 and formerly part of the Pepco Group, Poundland has become a cornerstone of household shoppers known for its low prices and wide variety of products with over 800 stores across the U.K. and Ireland. The company has recently faced challenging trading conditions. “We are delighted to provide Barry Williams and his management team with the financing to support the substantial turnaround of this iconic retailer,” said Mark Newton-Jones, Head of Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Gordon Brothers . “We believe Poundland is an essential retailer serving U.K. consumers and plays an important role on the High Street.” “We welcome Gordon Brothers as we focus on returning Poundland to its core heritage category strengths and place as an essential business to U.K. households,” said Barry Williams, Chief Executive Officer of Poundland. “We look forward to working with our supplier base to ensure we continue providing exceptional value to budget-conscious consumers in the U.K.” Gordon Brothers provides both short- and long-term capital to companies undergoing transformation, partnering with management teams, private equity sponsors, strategic buyers and asset-based lenders globally to provide its expertise and additional capital in special situations. The firm lends against and invests in brands, real estate, inventory, receivables, machinery, equipment and other assets to provide holistic solutions to companies beyond its market-leading trading and valuation services. About Gordon Brothers Since 1903, businesses have trusted Gordon Brothers, the global asset experts, to optimize asset values by providing the people, expertise and capital to solve complex business challenges. Our solutions-oriented approach across asset services, lending, financing and trading gives clients the insights, strategies and time to optimize asset values throughout the business cycle. We work across the full spectrum of assets globally with deep expertise in retail, commercial, industrial, brands and real estate. We have over 30 offices across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific with the UK business headquartered in London. About Poundland Poundland operates from around 800 stores in the UK and Republic of Ireland where it trades as Dealz. Founded in 1990 with a store in Burton-upon-Trent, Poundland offers top brands and great quality own brand items that provide customers with amazing value every day. It employs around 16,000 colleagues who serve 20 mio customers annually. Alongside an extensive FMCG range at simple prices, stores also offer extensive general merchandise items and family fashion with simple low pricing on local high streets. Read more: Gordon Brothers Provides Poundland up to £80M in Financing | Gordon Brothers #smartdiscount #poundland #pepco #gordonbrother #financing #injection #uk #drc #discount #retail #consulting #discountretail #discountretailconsulting #retailconsulting #google

Discount Retail Chain Aldi Switzerland sells Coca-Cola with Polish names. The Coca-Cola Group has currently launched another campaign in which Coke bottles with first names on them can be bought. However, if you try to find your own name on such a bottle at Aldi Suisse, you will have difficulties, unless he or she has Polish roots. Because the cola bottles at Aldi currently have names like Piotr, Milosz and Staszek. The reason: Aldi does not currently buy Coca-Cola from the Swiss distributor of the beverage manufacturer, but imports the bottles from Poland. The German discounter is not alone in this. Denner is also currently importing 1.5-liter cola bottles from abroad. Migros relies on parallel imports at Monster Energy and does not import Fanta and Sprite at all. Due to ongoing price negotiations, there could also be bottlenecks for 0.5-liter cola bottles, Migros writes. The retailers accuse the beverage company of charging them too high a "Swiss surcharge". When asked, Aldi says that because of the parallel imports, it has been able to reduce the price of half-liter bottles from 1.49 to 1.29 francs. COMCO became active as early as 2014 The dispute goes back a long way. As early as 2014, COMCO initiated an investigation against the Coca-Cola Group at the instigation of Denner. At that time, Denner imported 2-liter bottles from the Czech Republic and was subsequently able to reduce the retail price from 2.50 to 1.95 francs. But Denner accused the beverage company of obstructing these parallel imports, which would have violated antitrust law. Even before COMCO could take any action, the parties involved reached an agreement, and Swiss retailers subsequently received a lower price. The peace did not last long: In 2019, Coca-Cola reduced the size of some beverage bottles (from 0.5 to 0.45 liters, for example) without lowering the price accordingly. A lawsuit against Beiersdorf led to the "Lex Nivea" Coop publicly opposed this step and called on Coca-Cola to negotiate. At the beginning of 2023, there was no cola to buy in Coop supermarkets even for a short time before an agreement was finally reached. In order to make it easier for retailers to take action against international corporations, Swiss antitrust law was revised a few years ago. The revision, known as the "Lex Nivea", enables Swiss companies to defend themselves against foreign suppliers if they do not offer them the same conditions as foreign customers and if they have relative market power vis-à-vis their Swiss customers. The appeal was triggered by a lawsuit by Denner, who wanted to buy from the Nivea Group Beiersdorf under the same conditions as German discounters. Denner's parent company Migros is now applying the new law for the first time. Beiersdorf has stated in the past that it has made Migros an offer that corresponds to market prices and conditions customary in the industry. It is unclear whether there will also be an investigation by the Competition Commission in the dispute with Coca-Cola. The retailers and the company itself do not want to show their cards at the status of the negotiations. Coca-Cola says it is proud to produce in Switzerland and to contribute to domestic value creation. Read more: Detailhändler wehren sich gegen den «Schweiz-Zuschlag» | Berner Zeitung #smartdiscount #aldi #switzerland #suisse #cocacola #beierdorf #poland #nivea #competition #pricing #drc #discount #retail #consulting #discountretail #discountretailconsulting #retailconsulting

Discount Retail Chain KAM is the no. 1 grocery retail chain in North Macedonia. KAM continues to support the development of the Macedonian economy by cooperating with a number of domestic producers and placing their products in the domestic market as well as in the region.  KAM cooperates with more than 160 domestic producers, and in 2024 has placed domestic products worth over 113 million euros on the Macedonian market. Almost 3 million euros are the exports realized in 2024 by Macedonian manufacturers through the KAM sales channel in the markets of Bulgaria and Kosovo. Support for domestic production is a key driver of economic development. That is why KAM is proud to work with a number of Macedonian manufacturers, offering them a stable placement and fair conditions for growth. This collaboration not only brings fresh and quality produce to our shelves, but also directly contributes to the creation of new jobs and the strengthening of local economies across the country. "As a company, we remain committed to creating value at home, for producers, for consumers, and for the community at large," KAM said. Also, according to data from Business Network, the company retains the primacy of the largest employer among retail chains with more than 1,400 employees in 2024 and has been named the employer that provides the highest average salary among competitors in the category. Currently, KAM operates 85 markets in Macedonia and 26 markets in Bulgaria. In North Macedonia, KAM last year generated revenues of over € 298 million and profits of almost € 7 million. Investing in the modernization of the sales network and supporting the local community are only part of the company's strategy to remain a reliable and responsible partner in the Macedonian market. Read more: КАМ МАРКЕТ #smartdiscount #kam #northmacedonia #macedonia #local #supplier #scm #bulgaria #kosovo #balkan #expansion #growth #sales #revenues #stores #drc #discount #retail #consulting #discountretail #disocuntretailconsulting #retailconsulting #google

Discount Retail Chain Aldi Australia was named the cheapest when it came to a sample basket of groceries, followed by Woolworths, Coles and IGA. Consumer advocacy group Choice has released the results of its quarterly, government-funded report on supermarket prices across Australia. The group says despite recent cuts to interest rates that have provided some relief to mortgage holders, the cost of living continues to trouble many Australians. Here is how the supermarkets compare and how you can make sure you are getting the best value at the check-out. The cheapest supermarket Without including specials, the average full basket of 14 items cost: $55.35 at Aldi $58.92 at Woolworths $59.22 at Coles $69.74 at IGA Looking at the individual items on the list (without specials), Coles had the best deal on apples, Woolworths had the cheapest chicken breasts and pumpkin, and at IGA you paid less for carrots and garlic than at the other three supermarkets. Aldi had the best price on everything else. Do prices vary by location? The average prices across each state and territory were: ACT: Aldi: $53.57 Woolworths: $58.25 Coles: $58.45 IGA: $67.46 NSW: Aldi: $53.57 Woolworths: $58.15 Coles: $59.01 IGA: $62.52 Northern Territory: Woolworths: $58.40 Coles: $56.98 IGA: $76.18 Queensland: Aldi: $54.52 Woolworths: $58.65 Coles: $55.40 IGA: $69.34 South Australia: Aldi: $54.82 Woolworths: $58.48 Coles: $56.85 IGA: $66.81 Tasmania: Woolworths: $59.85 Coles: $57.45 IGA: $70.10 Victoria: Aldi: $54.07 Woolworths: $59.25 Coles: $57.45 IGA: $64.21 Western Australia: Aldi: $55.74 Woolworths: $59.78 Coles: $59.65 IGA: $71.31 Aldi is not available in all states and territories. What was in the basket? Choice has slightly tweaked the contents of the basket after feedback from consumers. They asked for more visibility and fresh foods to be included. Winter items such as hot chocolate, ingredients for pumpkin soup and porridge were also included. The products purchased at each supermarket were: A bulk pack of chicken breasts Carrots Royal Gala apples Cavendish bananas Strawberries Butternut pumpkin Garlic Brown onions Sanitarium Weet-bix Full-cream milk Drinking chocolate Vegetable stock Sour cream Quick oat sachets The methodology Last year's pricing comparison found that Aldi was 25 per cent cheaper than Coles and Woolworths but this one does not appear to suggest similar. According to this year's report, Woolworths appears 6.4 per cent more expensive than Aldi and Coles 6.9 per cent. Choice CEO Ashley de Silva said the methodology had not changed but the selected items had. "Our base basket of items in Year 2 is different to our base basket of items in Year 1," she said. "Our new emphasis on fresh foods, something we've been asked to focus on by our audience, is a big reason why we've seen the percentage differences between our basket totals change, as fresh and seasonal items tend to be more competitively priced." Choice is in its second year of comparing supermarket baskets and it says this quarter, it has changed how it does it. The peak body says it considered factors such as ingredient lists, country of origin and packaging similarities to ensure fair comparisons were made. "When items were unavailable, we looked for the closest alternative just as you would when shopping for your family," the report wrote. "We've also reduced the size of our base basket this year to allow us to add more spotlight items each quarter, so that we can compare a wider variety of products across the year. "We'll be able to track changes to the base basket as prices fluctuate across the year, and also include a wider variety of new items each quarter." Choice said it surveyed 104 supermarkets, 27 Woolworths, 27 Coles, 23 Aldi and 27 IGA stores, in 27 locations across Australia in March 2025. Supermarket locations were chosen to give good coverage of socio-economic status based on ABS Indexes and geographic spread across the country. Supermarkets were surveyed in clusters so that each store had local competition, and it calculated the average price of the basket of goods, both with and without specials. "A price was deemed to be a special when we had evidence of a temporary price reduction. "There were 14 grocery items in each basket (10 fresh and 4 packaged items)." How have supermarkets responded? In a statement provided to the ABC, a spokesperson for Coles said the Choice basket "doesn't capture our full winter offer for customers". "This month, we lowered the price of more than 300 products for 12 weeks to help provide relief to households this winter, which, combined with other current deals means more than a thousand items at Coles are currently reduced in price. "We appreciate the increased transparency in Chioce's recent quarterly report on grocery prices across supermarkets, which for the first time discloses the list of items from each basket." A spokesperson for Woolworths told the ABC it had also launched a lower winter price program, "which has reduced prices on hundreds of winter essentials by an average of 18 per cent for the next three months". "Products on Lower Winter Price include pantry staples, frozen foods, personal care, and baby care, and are designed to give customers certainty on the key products they'll be buying this season to help their budgets go further. "Year-on-year prices in our Australian Food business have now declined for five consecutive quarters and we remain committed to delivering value for our customers every time they shop with us." How can I save money on groceries? It can be hard to compare prices of different-sized products from different brands, but unit pricing lets you compare prices based on the price per unit e.g. 100 grams or 1 litre. All supermarkets are required by law to include this information in labelling, both online and instore. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) gives some good examples of this: Beef: price per kilogram Laundry detergent: price per litre Avocados: price per avocado Switching between stores and shopping at different supermarkets to take advantage of specials can deliver significant savings. Starting at Aldi is the best way to save at the check-out, according to Choice. Swap expensive cuts of meat for cheaper alternatives, look at frozen fruit and veg, particularly if shopping for produce out of season, and give the ugly fruit and vegetables a go. Nutrition academics say frozen produce can be just as healthy as fresh fruit and veggies, sometimes even healthier. Read more: Aldi remains the cheapest place to shop for groceries, according to Choice report #smartdiscount #aldi #australia #expansion #price #cheapest #winner #privatelabel #drc #discount #retail #consulting #discountretail #discountretailconsulting #retailconsulting #google

Discount Variety Retail Chain Action opens its 3,000th store in Europe in Italy on Thursday 5 April. The discount non-food brand debuted in the Peninsula in April 2021 and with this latest inauguration, in San Rocco al Porto in the province of Lodi, it reaches 157 Italian stores. However, looking to the near future, the intention is "to double in a couple of years", Hajir Hajji, CEO of the Dutch group present in 13 European countries, anticipates to ItaliaOggi . "France is our main market, where we landed in 2012, but Italy is among the companies at the top in terms of growth and store openings. We have strong potential ahead of us along the Peninsula." The new Lombard store covers over 867 square meters, in line with the average square footage of Action stores, and relies on a team of 22 employees. The strategy of the CEO who started as a sales assistant "This is how our international expansion strategy continues. Two months ago we opened our first store in Switzerland and, in parallel, we are preparing to open the first store in Romania, expected in the autumn of this year," adds Hajji who started working at Action in 1997, starting as a sales assistant and then becoming head of in-store operations, commercial director and, Since 2022, global CEO of the company with net sales of 13.8 billion euros (+21.7%) at the end of 2024. Action relies on a single format and does not want to change Hajji confirms on the one hand the three golden rules: low prices, good quality of the offer and attention to sustainability, concepts concretely declined in 6 thousand products available in store, in turn divided into 14 product categories (from toys and creative items to household products, from gardening to DIY and food). All, moreover, within a single sales format. On the other hand, however, the manager relaunches, "this single format will remain our only reference format because it is very distinctive and allows us to be recognized as a discounter. We are not interested in proximity positioning nor, generally, in landing in the main city streets. Smaller sales areas, after all, are not for us. Not to mention that, where we open, a greater flow of people is often generated by up to +30%". The importance of a dynamic shelf Hence the importance of adequate space to display the assortment and to follow its rotation, thinking of 150 new products placed on the shelf every week. «In some respects we behave like food brands and in Action's historical roots there is exactly an experience in the food field with the past management of a supermarket. As a result, operational speed and management of the entire supply chain, speed in purchasing items, but also speed in bringing items into the store stand out in their current importance for us. Applying these criteria to non-food makes a difference," Hajji points out, who is keen to reiterate: "we are not a traditional brand, we are not a drug store, but a discount store that competes with different competitors depending on the different product categories offered. We always monitor the trend of the average prices applied on the market, to stay below this threshold". To confirm, in the past, Philippe Levisse , general manager of Action Italy, had recalled how "30% of our products cost less than one euro and another 30% are on sale at a price between 1 and 2 euros. Which means that 60% of our items cost less than 2 euros." US tariffs are not good, however... US tariffs, is Hajji worried about the repercussions? "Tariffs are not good for anyone. That said, European retailers will not be directly impacted; so no, I'm not worried. But with China we can reason to work and coordinate at the level of supplies, even regardless of the new trade policy of the United States," concludes the CEO of Action. Read more: Negozi, i discount Action pronti a raddoppiare in Italia - ItaliaOggi.it #smartdiscount #action #netherlands #italy #expansion #growth #stores #development #drc #discount #retail #consulting #discountretail #discountretailconsulting #retailconsulting #google

Discount Retail Chain Lidl`s mother company the Schwarz Group from Neckarsulm (Heilbronn district) opened 300 new Lidl and Kaufland stores worldwide in the past fiscal year. This was announced by the company. With the growth, new jobs are also being added. In the course of this, the Schwarz Group created around 20,000 new jobs, 4,000 of them in Germany. Even in a time of global uncertainty, it has been possible to grow and continue to invest in Germany as a business location and a digitally sovereign Europe, said Schwarz CEO Gerd Chrzanowski. High investments of the Schwarz Group Despite the tense economic situation, the Group invested around 3.3 billion euros in Germany. According to the company, the money was mainly invested in new stores, the expansion of warehouse locations and the capacity of data centers in Europe. In the current fiscal year, investments of 3.7 billion euros are planned in Germany. Sales at Lidl and Kaufland are no longer growing so fast Sales of the Group as a whole rose by 4.9 percent to 175.4 billion euros. In 2023, however, growth was still 8.5 percent. For example, the group's online sales are stagnating. At Kaufland and Lidl, too, sales growth did not increase as strongly as in previous years. In Germany, Lidl sees itself as the industry leader among discounters. According to a study by the market research company Nielsen IQ, however, the Schwarz Group was in third place in the German food trade last year behind the Edeka and Rewe groups. The Schwarz Group The Schwarz Group, headquartered in Neckarsulm (Heilbronn district), has 595,000 employees worldwide. It is a leading international retail group with around 14,200 stores. In the 2024 financial year, the Schwarz Group companies generated total sales of 175.4 billion euros. With their ecosystem, they cover the entire value chain: from production and trade to recycling and digitalization. Lidl and Kaufland form the pillars of the food retail sector and are represented in 32 countries. Read more: Lidl und Kaufland: Wachstum durch neue Filialen und Jobs - SWR Aktuell #smartdiscount #lidl #germany #kaufland #stores #investments #expansion #growth #marketdevelopment #drc #discount #retail #consulting #discountretail #discountretailconsulting #retaiconsulting #google

Discount Retail Chain Lidl's sister company the shipping company Tailwind Shipping Lines, it mother company the Schwarz Group is pushing ahead with the expansion of its logistics expertise by sea. In addition to ordering five new mega container ships for the Asia-Europe trade, the company is also significantly expanding its intra-Asia connections, including new port calls and additional ship capacity. Tailwind Shipping Lines, the shipping company behind the discounter Lidl, which belongs to the Schwarz Group, has ordered five new container ships, each with a capacity of 8,400 TEU, from the Chinese shipyard Guangzhou Shipyard International. The company confirmed this to the "Lebensmittel Zeitung". The new buildings are to be gradually integrated into the existing Panda Express Service (PAX) between Asia and Europe. The investment sum is estimated at over 520 million euros, around 120 million US dollars per unit. These are the first newbuildings in Tailwind's fleet, which has so far mainly relied on chartered and used medium-sized container ships. The new ships will be equipped with LNG dual-fuel propulsion and can be operated with both conventional marine diesel and more environmentally friendly liquefied petroleum gas. According to its own information, Tailwind currently operates a total of nine vessels, including two with the largest capacity of 6,864 TEU and 6,078 TEU respectively. PAX with new hub in Port Kelang A central component of the PAX service will be Port Kelang in Malaysia in the future. The country's largest seaport will replace the previous call in Colombo (Sri Lanka) as a transshipment hub. The route of PAX will run from Qingdao via Ningbo and Dachan Bay to Port Kelang from June 17, 2025, before continuing to Barcelona and Koper. The parent company Lidl is also expected to benefit from this. Tiger Express (TEX) expands to include Vietnam In addition to intercontinental traffic, Tailwind is also expanding its intra-Asian offering. The existing Tiger Express Service (TEX), which previously operated between Chattogram in Bangladesh, Colombo and Port Kelang, will be supplemented by an additional port call in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) from 17 June. In the future, the route will lead from Chattogram via Port Kelang to Vietnam, then back to Bangladesh via Port Kelang and Colombo. Tailwind uses two container ships for the TEX service: the "ASL in Peony" (1,900 TEU) and the "Nordtiger" (1,700 TEU). According to Nico Peters, Vice President Commercial Management at Tailwind, the offer is aimed in particular at industries such as the textile industry, which rely on predictable and flexible transport solutions for raw materials and semi-finished goods. Read more: Lidl-Reederei Tailwind investiert in neue Containerschiffe und baut Asiendienste weiter aus #smartdiscount #germany #tailwind #transport #logistics #marketdevelopment #scm #schwarz #lidl #discount #retail #consulting #discountretail #discountretailconsulting #retailconsulting #google #vietnam #tex #malaysia #