Central and Eastern Europe roundup: Store upgrades, pricing, and expansion

Carrefour Romania cuts prices on staples and deepens commitment to local sourcing

Carrefour Romania has introduced an open-ended price-reduction programme covering hundreds of everyday products, including food, beverages, household goods, and personal care items. At the same time, the retailer has announced it will stop importing several seasonal fruit and vegetable categories, instead sourcing products such as tomatoes, cherries, eggplants and peppers exclusively from Romanian producers through partnerships with local cooperatives.

Insight Analyst, Bently Briggs’s view: Carrefour’s twin focus on affordability and local sourcing reflects two of the most important priorities shaping Romanian grocery retail. While long-term price reductions help retailers protect value-conscious shoppers, increasing reliance on domestic producers can strengthen supply chain resilience, support local agriculture and reinforce Carrefour’s credentials as a retailer invested in the Romanian economy.

Lidl pilots scan & go in Hungary

Lidl Hungary has launched a trial of its Scan & Go service in three stores, allowing shoppers to scan products using the Lidl Plus app and complete purchases via self-checkouts. The system is designed to reduce queue times, improve convenience, and give customers greater visibility of spending during the shopping trip. Traditional checkouts remain available alongside the new technology as Lidl tests shopper adoption.

Insight Analyst, Bently Briggs’s view: Lidl’s Scan & Go pilot demonstrates the growing importance of digital tools in improving convenience and reducing friction in the shopping journey in Hungary and across the wider region. Retailers are increasingly investing in technology-enabled checkout solutions that help shoppers save time whilst giving retailers new opportunities to strengthen loyalty through app-based ecosystems.

Konzum blends smart shopping with urban convenience store format

Croatian retailer Konzum has opened its new Minute neighbourhood store in central Zagreb, combining its computer-vision technology with self-checkout options. Shoppers can opt for an app-enabled checkout-free journey, where products are automatically recognised as they are taken from shelves, removing the need to scan items or queue. Alternatively, customers can pay via self-checkouts using cash or card. The store also expands its food-to-go range, targeting urban consumers. By combing speed, flexibility, and accessibility, Minute aims to better meeting the needs of city shoppers.

Insight Analyst, Ziwei Huang ‘s view: The Minute store concept shows how retailers can upgrade the traditional neighbourhood store model into a proposition centred on ready-to-eat food, automated payments, and fast-paced urban consumption. By combining checkout-free technology with familiar payment options, stores can serve both tech-savvy and traditional shoppers, while strengthening their role in meeting the everyday needs of time-pressed city consumers.

Read: How CEE retailers unlocked autonomous stores

LaDoiPasi open 100 stores in a single day

METRO Romania’s LaDoiPasi network inaugurated 100 new stores across Romania in a single day, taking the banner beyond 3,000 locations nationwide. The openings span both urban and rural communities and form part of METRO’s continued effort to support independent entrepreneurs through its modern convenience retail model, which combines local ownership with centralised branding, merchandising and operational support.

Insight Analyst, Bently Briggs’s view: The scale of LaDoiPasi’s expansion highlights the intense competition within Romania’s convenience channel, where retailers are racing to secure local relevance and proximity. The strong focus on both urban and rural locations also reflects the strategic importance of neighbourhood retail, with operators increasingly recognising that future growth opportunities extend beyond major cities into rural communities.

Polish retailers target holiday destinations

Biedronka and Zabka are running specialist stores in popular summer holiday destinations, including towns near the Baltic Sea. Convenience retailer Zabka is opening 17 new stores in summer hotspots, adding to its 150 existing coastal locations. These include temporary stores for smaller tourist towns. Biedronka, meanwhile, is launching 24-hour seasonal stores across coastal towns, as well as sales tents with promotions from partner brands.

Analyst, Theo O’Flynn’s view: Accessing seasonal spending remains a key revenue driver for retailers. In areas which cannot support full stores in the off-season, temporary promotional stores make for an effective solution. These must be supported by specialist ranges that cater to the specific needs of holidaying shoppers.