Global round-up: ecommerce and growth

The retail round-up follows trends globally across the industry and brings you highlights for the week commencing 11 August 2025. Here's what you need to know about developments from Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America.

Europe: Esselunga’s H1 results, Zabka increases new store target and REWE goes electric

Ahold Delhaize reports solid Q2 performance

Ahold Delhaize announced strong Q2 results, with net sales up 6.5% at constant exchange rates to €23.1 billion. This growth was primarily driven by the acquisition of Profi and a 14.4% increase in online sales, marking its fifth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth. The company also confirmed e-commerce profitability for the first half of 2025 and maintained a 4.0% underlying operating margin in Q2, boosted by strong European performance.

Sneha Haria, IGD Insight Manager’s view:

Ahold Delhaize's report highlights a resilient strategy fuelled by acquisitions and omnichannel growth. The sustained online sales increase and e-commerce profitability underscore successful adaptation to consumer shifts. The reaffirmed 2025 outlook signals confidence in their "Growing Together" strategy, focusing on customer value and long-term omnichannel expansion.

Esselunga announces H1 results

Sales amounted to €4.7 bn, in line with last year’s H1 result. The lack of growth was mostly driven by the closure of its loyalty program points collection, which resulted in shoppers using vouchers before their expiration in early June. This amounted to circa €50m. Not accounting for this effect, growth would have been circa +1%. H1 also saw investments of €18m, and a new store opened in Modena.

Michela Pearson, Insight Analyst’s view:

These are challenging times for retailers, with many H1 results across Europe not showing strong growth. In its release, Esselunga also stated that whereas suppliers’ inflation was 1.7%, the average price increase across its assortment was 0.1%. The retailer has a history of protecting its customers’ purchasing power in recent years.

Zabka increases store target for 2025

The convenience retailer has revised its new store target from 1,100 to 1,300 across the Polish and Romanian markets. It will pass the 12,000-store mark by the end of the year, after it added 804 new stores in the first half of 2025.

Dan Butler, Senior Insight Analyst’s view:

Zabka remains the retailer to watch in Europe, achieving a +14.4% YoY sales growth in H1 2025. It has developed an attractive franchise model, compelling assortment, focused on food for now, and excellent supply chain network to facilitate its rapid growth.

REWE adds electric vehicles to delivery fleet

The German retailer is continuing to enhance its sustainability credentials. In a €5m investment, REWE has partnered with Mercedes-Benz to purchase 64 eSprinters for deliveries in Berlin. The charging infrastructure will be expanded, and the fleet will be extended to Neuss from September 2025.

Michela Pearson, Insight Analyst’s view:

REWE has been gradually expanding its capabilities in the ecommerce space by offering home delivery across broader areas and growing its click-and collect to over 2,000 stores. As sustainability remains one of its key strategic priorities, it follows that it would extend this to its ecommerce capabilities as well.

Asia-Pacific: boost to grocery sector in Malaysia and Woolworth’s private label enters Market Place

Malaysian cash handouts to boost the grocery industry

In conjunction with Malaysia’s National Day, the Malaysian government will be giving all adults a handout of MYR100 (US$24) to offset rising cost of living. The cash assistance can be spent between 31 August to 31 December on basic goods at more than 4,100 stores nationwide, including supermarkets and other grocery stores.

Jarred Neubronner, Senior Insight Analyst’s view:

This cash injection will be a short term boost to overall grocery spending in Malaysia for the second half of 2025. Retailers can capture a slice of this pie by offering discounts and other promotions to encourage greater shopper spending and bulk buying of their products.

Woolworths products in Market Place supermarkets in Hong Kong

Market Place is introducing over 90 high-quality products from Woolworths private label in Hong Kong. Signature products ranges include organic coffee range from Peru, organic canned vegetables, 100% frozen fruits, fruit juices and plant-based lactose-free milk.

Tan Soo Eng, Senior Insight Analyst’s view:

Woolworths is known for its macro range which features natural ingredients and organic products. These products are a great fit for Market Place, which is a premium banner of DFI. Exclusive private label products give shoppers more reasons to go to Market Place and present great value compared to national brands.

North America: Ahold achieves ecommerce profitability and Kroger expands its retail media capabilities

Ahold Delhaize reaches online profitability in the US

During its Q2 earnings call, CFO Jolanda Poots-Bijl announced the business had reached ecommerce profitability on a fully allocated basis for 2025, including reaching the milestone for its US business. The retailers’ solid Q2 performance (US comp sales ex-fuel up 3.4% and online sales up 16.4%) was attributed to the strength of its omnichannel business model.

Oliver Butterworth, Senior Insight Analyst’s view:

Hitting online profitability is at the forefront of several of the leading grocers’ strategies. Ahold Dehlhaize follows Walmart’s success (reported earlier this year) in reaching this key milestone. Like Walmart, it has achieved this through leveraging store-fulfilled orders, elevating more cost-efficient fulfilment models (e.g. Click-and-Collect), enhancing fulfilment capacity and increasing automation in its operations. Both also rely on high-margin revenue generated by their retail media businesses, helping to offset high costs of operating in the channel.

Kroger evolves retail media into full-funnel brand growth engine

Kroger has unified its retail media, insights, and loyalty marketing services under a single division: Kroger Precision Marketing (KPM), powered by 84.51°. This new structure brings together capabilities from KPM, Stratum, Best Customer Communications, and Loyalty Marketing, creating an integrated commercial services team designed to support brand growth across the entire lifecycle.

Stewart Samuel, Director of Retail Futures’ view:

This is designed to simplify how brands engage with Kroger, offering seamless access to purchase data, personalisation science, and marketing technology. It aligns with the growing demand for faster insights and flexible activation, especially as brands look for accountability and results in a complex retail landscape.