Zeeman Appoints Former Ahold Delhaize Manager as New CEO
Zeeman announced that Boudewijn van Nieuwenhuijzen will assume the chief executive role on August 1, 2026, succeeding Erik‑Jan Mares after a nine‑year tenure. Van Nieuwenhuijzen brings more than two decades of international retail, FMCG and wholesale experience, most recently as CEO of Super Indo, an Ahold Delhaize subsidiary, and prior stints at HEMA and Unilever. The Supervisory Board highlighted his blend of strategic clarity, hands‑on execution and people‑oriented leadership. Mares will remain in charge until July 1, 2026 to ensure a smooth transition.
Jysk Accelerates Belgian Growth with Six Openings in One Day
On March 18, Jysk opened six new stores in Belgium, five of which occupy former Leen Bakker premises, raising its national store count to 76. The retailer plans ten more openings later this year, targeting at least 125 locations across...
Lidl Owner Schwarz Completes Acquisition in Romania
Schwarz Group, the parent of Lidl and Kaufland, received approval from Romanian competition authorities to acquire a majority stake in La Cocoș, a retailer operating large hypercash stores. The deal cements Schwarz’s market‑leadership position in Romania, where Ahold Delhaize currently ranks second....
![[In the Picture] Ikea Rolls Out Self-Driving Delivery Vans in China](/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/IKEA-China-self-driving-vehicles-photo-in-text-scaled-1-scaled-1.jpeg)
[In the Picture] Ikea Rolls Out Self-Driving Delivery Vans in China
Ikea China has begun using autonomous electric delivery vans in Anhui province after a successful pilot. The vans shuttle orders between an external warehouse and the Hefei store, also restocking shelves. Over the trial they covered roughly 75,600 kilometers and...
One-Third of E-Commerce Packages in Violation
Liège Airport processes about 3.6 million e‑commerce parcels daily, accounting for roughly 20 % of Europe’s online sales. Customs can inspect only 0.006 % of these shipments—around 216 files per day—and 30 % of the checked B2C parcels are found in violation, generating €3.3 million...
EuroShop 2026: How AI Is Taking the “Smartification” Of Stores to the Next Level
At EuroShop 2026, AI dominated the showcase, with vendors presenting solutions ranging from fraud‑detecting self‑scan systems to smart shopping carts and connected shelf labels. Vusion secured a European contract to turn Carrefour stores into data hubs and micro‑fulfilment centers, while...
Celio Drops Camaïeu Brand Name After All
Celio has officially retired the Camaïeu name, rebranding its women’s line as Celio Women after previously promising to keep the label as “be Camaïeu.” The shift marks a strategic consolidation of the French retailer’s portfolio. Celio is also expanding its...
Second-Hand Marketplace Refurbed Reaches Three Billion Milestone
Refurbed announced a 40% year‑on‑year growth, pushing its gross merchandise volume past €3 billion and expanding into twelve new European markets. The platform now claims the title of Europe’s largest refurbished marketplace and reported profitability for the first time. A fresh...
Coolblue Gives up Energy Installation Division
Coolblue has sold its energy installation division—including heat pumps, solar panels, charging stations, and air conditioners—to Hoppenbrouwers Techniek, transferring 75 employees. The retailer will continue offering energy contracts and its Free Washing and Drying service, focusing on low‑energy consumption products....
Ahold Delhaize Appoints New Executive in Indonesia
Ahold Delhaize announced that Stephane Deutsch will assume the role of Brand President of Super Indo, its Indonesian supermarket chain, effective June 22. Deutsch succeeds Boudewijn van Nieuwenhuijzen, who is departing the company. Deutsch currently serves as CFO of TotalEnergies Marketing Egypt and has held senior...
Carrefour and Coca-Cola Are Focusing on Refillable Glass Bottles
Coca‑Cola becomes the first supplier to join Carrefour Belgium’s new sustainability plan, promoting refillable glass bottles. Coca‑Cola Europacific Partners will roll out a lighter one‑liter refillable glass bottle in Belgium this year, cutting production and transport emissions. The partners are...
![[In the Picture] The Salvation Army Opens Virtual Thrift Store in Roblox](/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/Schermafbeelding-2026-03-02-141608.png)
[In the Picture] The Salvation Army Opens Virtual Thrift Store in Roblox
The Salvation Army launched Thrift Score, the first virtual thrift store on Roblox, on February 19. The digital shop lets Gen Z and Gen Alpha purchase virtual items modeled after real second‑hand goods. The initiative blends sustainability, gaming, and charitable...
Chinese Coffee Discounter Cotti Coffee Unveils First Belgian Branches
Chinese coffee chain Cotti Coffee, known for its low‑price model, announced its entry into Belgium. The company will launch six outlets over the next two months, with two stores each in Brussels and Antwerp and additional locations in city centres....
Colruyt Group Completes Sale of French Operations
Colruyt Group finalized the divestiture of its French footprint on February 28, selling 100 supermarkets and 45 DATS 24 fuel stations after clearance from competition authorities. Stores that found no buyer were shut down, ending a 30‑year presence in France. The...
Topshop Sets World Record: First Fashion Show with AI Live Shopping
Topshop staged a world‑first AI‑powered fashion show in Manchester, replacing the traditional runway with a hybrid physical‑digital experience. Shoppers used the bespoke Front Row AI app to buy each silhouette in real time while models walked, and later tried the...
Edeka Limits Purchases From Procter & Gamble and Iglo
German retailer Edeka has cut back orders from Procter & Gamble and Iglo amid ongoing price negotiations, leaving several product categories temporarily undersupplied. The reduction spans household staples such as dishwashing liquid, toothpaste, and frozen fish, as well as personal...
New Start for Comptoir Des Cotonniers and Princesse tam.tam in France
The Paris Commercial Court has approved the final relaunch of Fast Retailing France, the owner of Comptoir des Cotonniers and Princesse tam.tam, ending its insolvency proceedings. The company will operate a two‑brand model designed to generate greater synergy between the labels....
Dia Makes Impressive Comeback in Spain
Grupo Dia posted a profit in 2025 after seven consecutive loss‑making years, reporting €5.8 billion in total turnover, a 3.5% increase. In Spain, sales rose 8% to €4.6 billion, driven by a 7.4% rise in comparable turnover and the opening of 94...
Colruyt Group Extends Sunday Opening Hours for Okay City City Stores
Colruyt Group is extending Sunday opening hours for its urban Okay City stores in Ghent, Antwerp and Liège, now staying open until 7:30 p.m. The change follows a trial that showed strong customer uptake and stable average turnover per shopping cart....
Casino Working on Recovery After Further Decline in Revenue
French retailer Casino posted 2025 consolidated sales of €8.26 billion, up 0.5 % on a comparable‑store basis but down 2.5 % in published terms. The decline reflects the closure of roughly 1,000 small neighbourhood stores as the chain trims its footprint. Despite the...
Unrest Continues at Intermarché Belgium
Intermarché Belgium’s 2022 acquisition of the Mestdagh franchise doubled its store count but triggered operational chaos, leading to multiple bankruptcies and legal disputes. Independent shopkeepers report tens of millions of euros in debt as the group allegedly shifts invoices onto...
Fnac Darty Sailing Steady, Soon with a New Captain
Fnac Darty posted a €10.33 billion turnover in 2025, a modest 0.7% rise over 2024, underscoring resilience in a weak French consumption climate. CEO Enrique Martinez highlighted that the first year of the "Beyond everyday" strategic plan confirmed the model’s relevance....
Ahold Delhaize in Figures: Key Figures From the Annual Report
Ahold Delhaize’s 2025 annual report shows total sales of €92.4 billion, up 5.9% on a comparable basis. Online sales grew 13.3% to €10.3 billion, marking the first time e‑commerce was profitable on a fully allocated basis. The retailer served 77 million customers weekly across...
Zalando Rolls Out Second-Hand Children’s Clothing
Zalando is extending its second‑hand platform to include children’s clothing, launching the service in fourteen European countries including Scandinavia and Ireland. Parents can purchase pre‑owned items and trade in worn pieces for vouchers toward future buys. The move is positioned...
HEMA Turns 100: The Turbulent Journey From Working-Class Department Store to Retail Icon
Hema celebrated its centennial in 2026, marking a hundred‑year evolution from a modest fixed‑price shop to a Dutch retail icon. Founded in 1926 by Arthur Isaac and Leo Meyer, the chain was positioned as an affordable alternative to upscale stores...
Shein to Open Five More Stores in French BHV Department Stores
Chinese fast‑fashion leader Shein will open five new shop‑in‑shop corners inside France's BHV department‑store chain on 25 February, covering Limoges, Angers, Dijon, Grenoble and Reims. The roll‑out was originally slated for November but was postponed by several months while BHV evaluated...
Shoe Giant Deichmann “Held Its Own” In 2025, Invests in New Campus
Deichmann closed 2025 with €8.9 billion in revenue, a modest 2 % currency‑adjusted increase, translating to 180 million pairs of shoes sold worldwide. The German shoe giant outperformed much of the broader fashion and footwear sector despite a challenging market environment. CEO Heinrich...
Benelux Online Eco-Supermarkets Pieter Pot and Andy Merge
Dutch packaging‑free online supermarket Pieter Pot and Belgian beverage delivery platform Andy announced a merger. The combined entity will operate across the Benelux region, leveraging each brand’s logistics and customer base. Their joint mission is to establish deposit‑based packaging as the...
IKKS Belgium Bankrupt, Dozens of Jobs at Risk
The Belgian arm of French fashion retailer IKKS has been declared bankrupt, prompting the closure of about a dozen company‑owned stores and putting dozens of jobs at risk. While franchise locations may continue operating, the subsidiary’s failure follows a broader...
Saks Saved with 1 Billion Dollar Emergency Loan
Saks Global secured a $1 billion emergency loan, part of a $1.75 billion financing package approved by a Houston court. The package also refinances existing debt and aims to stabilize the retailer's supply chain. Supplier approval was secured, allowing the deal to...
From Hobby to Omnichannel Success: How Les Jumelles Is Coloring the Belgian Fashion World
Les Jumelles, founded by Magalie Aerts as a garage‑based webshop ten years ago, has grown into an omnichannel fashion brand with three flagship stores in Belgium and a thriving online channel that generates 60‑70% of sales. The company emphasizes personalized...
Belgian Fashion Brand Signe Nature Opens Online Store
Belgian fashion label Signe Nature, part of the Tricobel group, launches its first online store after 25 years of exclusive physical retail. The e‑shop adds a digital channel to more than 300 multi‑brand outlets and ten Espace Mode stores. It...
Colruyt Reintroduces Paper Bags for Fruit and Vegetables
Colruyt has reintroduced disposable paper bags for bulk fruit and vegetables in its Lowest Prices stores, citing a rise in customers who forget reusable bags and an increase in pre‑packaged produce purchases. The retailer previously launched reusable polyester nets in...
50-Year-Old Aldi Continues Expansion in Belgium
Aldi celebrated its 50th anniversary in Belgium, now operating 445 stores—the country’s largest single‑brand footprint. The discounter has expanded its SKU count from 450 to roughly 1,750, with 90% private‑label and weekly limited‑time offers. Store formats have grown from under...
New Balance Grows at Double Digits for the Fifth Consecutive Year
New Balance reported a 19% increase in global sales for 2025, reaching US$9.2 billion. The growth marks the fifth straight year of double‑digit expansion for the sneaker maker. Sales surged across most regions, with North America up 20% and Europe climbing...
Protein Hype Boosts Danone’s Sales
Danone posted €27.2 billion in turnover for 2025, delivering 4.5% comparable growth driven by a 2.7% rise in volumes and 1.8% price gains. Demand for protein‑rich and functional dairy surged double‑digit, especially in Europe, giving a lift to the group’s performance....