Why Alibaba Is Turning to AI as a Lifeline
Alibaba’s third‑quarter profit fell 66% despite a modest 1.7% revenue rise. The decline was driven by weak domestic e‑commerce, with only quick‑commerce delivering growth (+56%). International sales, including AliExpress, added a modest 3% retail increase. The slump has pushed the group to accelerate AI initiatives as a turnaround strategy.
Fashion Distributor Gab Files for Court-Supervised Reorganization
Belgian fashion distributor Gab International has filed for a court‑supervised reorganization, granting it several months to craft a recovery plan. The company faces significant outstanding debts to brands such as Ecoalf, Pepe Jeans, Strellson, Daniele Fiesoli, Clarks and United Legwear...
Dressr Launches a Rental Service for Vintage Designer Handbags
Belgian fashion platform Dressr, together with restoration studio HoiHoi, has introduced a rental service for vintage designer handbags. The curated collection features restored pieces from brands like Celine, Gucci, Prada, and Louis Vuitton, available for ten‑day rentals starting at €52,...
Zalando Is Scaling up Its Use of AI-Powered Warehouse Robots
Zalando is rolling out AI‑powered warehouse robots to multiple European distribution centers. After a pilot where ten robots processed roughly 100,000 picks per day, the company plans up to fifty installations, starting in Germany and Italy and expanding to the...
Sephora to Make Belgian Debut in Brussels
Sephora will launch its first Belgian stores in Brussels, with openings slated for June at Docks Bruxsel and City2. The retailer plans to open about ten locations in the French‑speaking region before expanding into Flanders. Sephora currently runs 3,400 stores across...
More Promotions, Modern Stores, Storytelling: Jumbo CEO Jesper Højer’s Plan
Jumbo’s new CEO Jesper Højer unveiled a multi‑year plan to revive the retailer’s lagging performance. The strategy emphasizes aggressive promotions, especially on meat, and a comprehensive modernization of store formats. Højer also pledged to streamline the executive committee and eliminate...
Xandres Expands Its Secondhand Service Online
Xandres has launched its second‑hand platform, Xandres Preloved, via a dedicated website covering the Benelux region and Germany. After pilot programs in Ghent and Bruges, the brand is rolling out the service nationwide, allowing customers to buy and sell pre‑owned...
FonQ Is Struggling: Payment Deferral and Online Store Shut Down
Dutch online home‑furnishings retailer fonQ is facing collapse after its holding company filed for a stay of payments. An administrator will now assess options to keep the business afloat. The company, which also owns brand Naduvi, saw CEO Itai Gross...
Ikea Expands Its Secondhand Marketplace to Belgium
Ikea will launch its digital secondhand marketplace in Belgium on April 29, extending the service to six European countries. The free platform lets Ikea Family members scan items, receive auto‑generated pricing, photos and details, and sell for cash or a 15%...
Kiabi Is Expanding Its Online Marketplace to Spain and Italy
Kiabi is extending its newly launched online marketplace beyond France to Spain and Italy, introducing third‑party brands alongside its own apparel line. The rollout adds complementary categories such as children’s products, baby gear, and home essentials, creating a broader family‑focused...
Seats and Sofas to Reimburse Customers Following Warranty Dispute
Seats and Sofas, a Dutch furniture retailer, has agreed to reimburse nearly 1,500 customers a total of €100,000 after the Dutch Consumer Authority ruled that its warranty‑related fees were unlawful. The disputed charges included €75 for home pick‑up, €49.95 for...
FonQ Group Has Filed for a Stay of Payments
The Dutch FonQ Group, owner of the fonQ and Naduvi home‑decor brands, has filed a court request for a stay of payments. The company, which began a turnaround in mid‑2025 under a new board, says it lacks sufficient cash to...
![[Opinion] Temu, Shein, AliExpress, and Now Joybuy: Are We Finally Waking up in Europe?](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://i0.wp.com/www.retaildetail.eu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/joyexpress-electric-cargo-bike.webp)
[Opinion] Temu, Shein, AliExpress, and Now Joybuy: Are We Finally Waking up in Europe?
Chinese e‑commerce giants Shein, Temu, AliExpress and now JD.com’s Joybuy are rapidly expanding into Europe, intensifying price competition for local retailers. These platforms combine ultra‑low pricing, AI‑driven merchandising and cross‑border logistics to attract cost‑conscious shoppers. The influx signals a systemic...
Why Decathlon and MediaMarkt Are Partnering in Germany
Decathlon has struck a strategic partnership with MediaMarktSaturn to launch shop‑in‑shop sections inside the electronics retailer’s German stores, beginning with a 1,000 m² space at Munich’s Perlach Einkaufszentrum. The first location opens on March 26, with additional sites slated for later this...
Kentucky Horsewear Uses AI as a Sales Assistant: “From Searching to Selecting, Both Online and In-Store”
Kentucky Horsewear has deployed a generative‑AI product assistant that guides shoppers through natural‑language queries, delivering tailored horse‑gear recommendations both on its e‑commerce site and in physical stores. Developed with Taglayer, the tool instantly suggests items such as blankets, underblankets, and...
Picnic on Track to Reach 1 Billion in Revenue in Germany
Dutch online supermarket Picnic aims to hit €1 billion in German revenue this year, marking a milestone after five years of operation. The retailer is expanding its footprint by launching in Munich, bringing its total to thirteen fulfillment centers across the...
Albert Heijn’s “2+5 Free” Promotion Was Conducted in Accordance with the Rules
Albert Heijn’s "2+5" promotion in Belgium, covering sixteen household items, sparked rapid stock depletion and consumer disappointment. The Belgian Economic Inspectorate investigated after the minister’s concerns about unfair pricing. The probe confirmed the promotion complied with regulations, with no loss‑selling...
“AI Brand or Product Recommendations Are Extremely Inconsistent”
A joint SparkToro and Gumshoe.ai study found that AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude and Google AI produce wildly inconsistent brand and product recommendations. Across nearly 3,000 prompts from 600 volunteers, the generated rankings changed almost every time, with no...
Dutch Supermarket Chain Jumbo Lets Young People Apply for Jobs via WhatsApp Chatbot
Dutch supermarket chain Jumbo has introduced a WhatsApp chatbot that lets 13‑ to 21‑year‑olds apply for part‑time positions in a few taps and schedule interviews instantly. The digital platform streamlines the traditionally slow hiring process, allowing candidates to move from...
Shein Opens Office in Barcelona for Spanish Marketing
Shein has opened a new office in Barcelona, complementing its existing Madrid branch and signaling a deeper foothold in Spain. The hub will serve as a regional center for marketing, branding, and content production across Spain and Europe. Initially staffed...
Spadel Fund Invests in Living Things Gut‑health Sodas
Belgian water group Spadel, through its venture arm The Source Ventures, has invested in British beverage maker Living Things, a fast‑growing producer of gut‑health soft drinks. Founded only two years ago, Living Things already supplies its functional sodas to more...
Gino Van Ossel on RetailDetail’s Omnichannel Congress: “E-Commerce Is Not ‘Mature’; It Remains a Battlefield”
Retail expert Gino Van Ossel warned that e‑commerce, while technically mature, remains a fiercely contested battlefield. He highlighted that omnichannel is now the baseline, with supermarkets such as Delhaize and Colruyt expanding click‑&‑collect, subscriptions and home delivery to capture online...
Colruyt’s Easy Checkout Also Available for Other Retailers
Colruyt’s AI‑powered Easy Checkout, which speeds scanning by roughly 20 %, has moved from a 2023 pilot to deployment in over 100 Belgian stores and is slated for a full rollout across all 273 locations this year. The system’s “caddy‑to‑caddy” workflow...
Geox Looking for New Breath After Drop in Sales
Geox reported an 8.3% decline in sales for FY 2025, bringing revenue to €608.7 million. The drop reflects both weaker demand and deliberate exits from underperforming markets, notably the United States and China, costing €16.7 million. The Italian footwear maker is initiating...
Non-Food Discounter Woolworth Reaches Milestone of 1,000 Stores in Europe
Woolworth celebrated the opening of its thousandth European store in Essen, marking a key milestone for the German non‑food discounter. The retailer now operates roughly 850 outlets in Germany and is targeting 1,500 domestic locations, while maintaining a presence in...
Ikea Opts for Medium Format: 20 Compact Stores on the Way
Ingka Group, Ikea’s largest retailer, is launching a medium‑format store concept, adding 20 compact locations across Europe and North America within six months. The new stores target smaller towns and suburbs where Ikea currently has no presence, complementing its traditional...
How Zalando Is Preparing for an AI Retail World
Zalando is positioning itself for an AI‑driven e‑commerce future, where analysts expect AI agents to handle 15 % of online sales by 2030. The retailer, which has been experimenting with AI for fifteen years, now creates 90 % of its marketing content...
Henkel Achieves Higher Margin Despite Declining Sales
Henkel reported a 5.1% drop in sales to roughly €20.5 billion in 2025, largely because of adverse exchange‑rate movements and portfolio divestments. When adjusted for currency effects and acquisitions, sales showed a modest 0.9% increase. The company’s efficiency drive paid off,...
Dreamland Opens Its First Three Stores at Cora Shopping Sites
DreamLand, the Belgian toy retailer, will launch three new experience stores on March 13 at Cora Shopping locations in Rocourt, Châtelineau, and La Louvière. The openings replace two existing outlets and add one new footprint, bringing DreamLand’s total to 93 stores...
Chocolate Grown in Laboratories to Hit the Market This Year
Puratos, the Belgian bakery‑ingredients giant, will launch the first commercially viable laboratory‑grown chocolate in the United States by the end of 2026. The product is produced from cell‑cultured cocoa cells that replicate the flavor and composition of traditional beans without...
First Yoboo Lifestyle Pharmacy Illustrates Colruyt Group’s Approach to Health
Colruyt Group opened its first Yoboo Lifestyle Pharmacy in Antwerp, converting the former Apotheek Noorderlaan into a health‑focused retail space. The new pharmacy combines traditional services with all‑day lifestyle coaching, self‑test kits, and a curated selection of supplements and functional...
Nike Pulls the Plug on 411 Jobs at European Logistics Hub
Nike announced the elimination of 411 jobs at its European logistics hub in Laakdal, Belgium. The cuts include 330 weekend positions and 81 logistics support roles. The move is part of a broader cost‑reduction program that also saw more than...
Brax Achieves Highest Turnover Ever
Leineweber, the parent of fashion group Brax, posted a record €388 million turnover for fiscal 2025, a 7.5% increase year‑over‑year. Excluding the newly acquired outdoor specialist Fuchs Schmitt, organic growth was 5.3%. Own‑retail channels powered the rise, with online sales up 12%...
Fnac Darty Board Approves Daniel Kretinsky’s Takeover Bid
The board of French retailer Fnac Darty has unanimously approved Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky’s EP Group takeover bid, bringing the deal one step closer to completion. The approval reflects the board’s belief that the transaction will provide a stable shareholder...
Former CEO Tom Heidman Becomes Supervisory Director at Jumbo
Tom Heidman, former interim CEO of Jumbo, has been appointed to the Dutch retailer’s Supervisory Board as vice‑chair, replacing Piet Coelewij whose term ends on March 28, 2026. He will join chair Colette Cloosterman‑van Eerd, Jacqueline Hoogerbrugge and Edwin Bouwman starting April 1, 2026....
![[Interview] “Shoppers Don’t Just Buy Special Offers” (Karolina Markiewicz-Kuskowska, Henkel Benelux)](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://i0.wp.com/www.retaildetail.eu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/GIO_3331.jpg)
[Interview] “Shoppers Don’t Just Buy Special Offers” (Karolina Markiewicz-Kuskowska, Henkel Benelux)
Henkel Consumer Brands Benelux general manager Karolina Markiewicz‑Kuskowska says shoppers are willing to pay a premium for innovative products rather than chasing special‑offer discounts. She emphasizes that private‑label competition does not dictate the pace of market change. The division recently...
Hydroponic Salads Make Their Debut in German Supermarkets
Rewe is launching hydroponically grown lettuce under the “Endless Summer” brand after four years of development, using water‑based systems in four hectares of geothermal‑heated greenhouses in Upper Bavaria. The soil‑free method promises up to seven days longer freshness and cuts...
5555 Stores for Aldi Nord
Aldi opened its 500th store in Spain, marking the 5,555th outlet for Aldi Nord across Europe. The new supermarket in Mijas, Málaga, brings total retail space in Spain to over 550,000 m², a 54% increase since 2020. Over the past five years...
Amazon Overtakes Schwarz Group (Lidl) as Europe’s Largest Retailer
Amazon has become Europe’s largest retailer by sales volume, posting €179.7 billion GMV in 2023. It narrowly surpassed Germany’s Schwarz Group, owner of Lidl and Kaufland, which recorded €179.4 billion. The gap to the third‑place Aldi exceeds €80 billion, highlighting Amazon’s dominant marketplace...
Fertilizer Prices Are Skyrocketing, Are Food Prices Next?
Fertilizer prices are soaring as the United States, Israel and Iran become entangled in a new geopolitical conflict, disrupting key Middle‑East supply chains. The spike mirrors the 2022 commodity shock triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which sent grain, fertilizer...
Largest Shopping Center in the Netherlands Affected by Data Breach
Westfield Mall of the Netherlands, the country’s largest indoor shopping centre, disclosed a data breach that exposed personal information of loyalty‑program members and newsletter subscribers. The compromised database contained names, email addresses, phone numbers, postal codes and dates of birth,...
ABOUT YOU Opens Its Marketplace to New Sellers
ABOUT YOU, a Zalando Group fashion retailer, has opened its marketplace to any fashion seller, removing minimum product‑count and revenue thresholds. The new self‑service Seller Center lets brands launch in as little as four weeks, with no onboarding fees. In the...
Deichmann Reopens Three Revamped Stores in Spain and Portugal
Deichmann is modernising its Iberian footprint by reopening three stores in Spain and Portugal before mid‑2026, starting with a revamped 450 m² outlet in Murcia’s Pinatar Park Retail Park. The redesign features clearer signage and optimized product displays to improve shopper comfort....
How Lidl Belgium Tackles Protein Shift, Food Waste, and Fair Trade
Lidl Belgium unveiled a sustainability magazine highlighting its 2023‑24 achievements, including pioneering equal pricing for plant‑based alternatives and a pledge to double plant‑based protein sales by 2030. The retailer reports saving more than six million items through Good Taste Zero...
How Visa Uses AI in the Fight Against Fraud with AI…
Visa has invested €10 billion in payment security and now blocks over 150 million fraudulent transactions each year. While e‑commerce fraud rates in Europe are falling, fraudsters have turned to AI‑generated social engineering, making scams five times more likely to succeed. Retailers...
Edeka Strengthening Its Hold on Online Supermarket Picnic
German retailer Edeka has raised its ownership in Dutch online grocery platform Picnic to more than 32%, up from 28%, after participating in a €430 million financing round. The investment makes Edeka the largest single shareholder, while existing backers such as...
Ceconomy CEO Resigns After Just Nine Months, CFO to Promote?
Ceconomy’s chief executive, Kai‑Ulrich Deissner, announced his resignation after just nine months in the role, having served as CFO since February 2023 and stepping in as interim CEO in May 2025 before his permanent appointment in September. The departure, attributed...
Belgian Fashion Retailers JBC and Filou & Friends Join Forces
Claes Retail Group (CRG), owner of JBC, has entered a 50/50 joint venture with Belgian children’s clothing brand Filou & Friends. The partnership launched the first Filou collection in 15 JBC stores in February while keeping Filou’s existing 14‑store network....
Ahold Delhaize Transitions to Cage-Free Eggs in the US by 2032
Ahold Delhaize announced a new timeline to source 100% cage‑free eggs in the United States by 2032, after missing its original 2025 target. The retailer currently offers cage‑free eggs for roughly 75% of its private‑label range, leaving a quarter still sourced...
Decathlon Enters the Market for Bicycle Leasing
Decathlon has launched a consumer e‑bike leasing service in Belgium, offering daily and monthly rates that include maintenance, insurance and zero‑deductible theft coverage. The subscription starts at €1.25 per day or €38 per month, with contract lengths of 12, 24...