Global roundup: retailer results, robots and market expansions

The retail round-up follows trends globally across the industry and brings you highlights for the week commencing 26 May 2025. Here's what you need to know about developments from Europe, Asia-Pacific, North America and Africa.

Europe

Lidl continues impressive growth, Delhaize invests in ecommerce, plus expansions and plant-based initiatives

Lidl drives sales growth for the Schwarz Group

The German retail group saw its sales increase to €175.4 bn in its FY2024 results, an increase of 4.9%. Lidl sales increased by 5.3% to €132.1 bn and Kaufland’s sales of €35.2 bn achieved a less impressive 2.9% sales growth. Online sales across both banners remained flat at €1.7 bn.

Dan Butler, Senior Insight Analyst’s view: it is no surprise that Lidl has continued its impressive sales growth, and I expect this to continue into 2025 with additional investment into improving and expanding its store network. Kaufland’s sales are less than expected, with particular concern in the German market.  Its value proposition will continue to be challenged as competitors invest in lowering prices and increasing promotional activity, while shoppers’ appeal of hypermarkets continues to decline.

Ahold Delhaize doubles its e-commerce capacity in Belgium

To enable Delhaize to meet the growing demand on its online platform, whilst improving its offer and efficiency, a new distribution centre has opened in Forest. The retailer is investing €53m in this project and is collaborating with manufacturer Montea to create a faster and more accessible service. This is another step the retailer is taking to strengthen its omnichannel approach by rethinking and adapting its online strategy.

Lucy Beaumont, Senior Insight Analyst’s view: Delhaize’s investment into a new distribution centre does not come as a surprise as its Puurs distribution centre was already operating at full capacity, delivering 25,000 orders per week. With the additional centre, the order capacity will reach 50,000 orders per week, which will help deliver against growing demand as in Belgium, the online channel is forecast to grow by 8.7% by 2029, Delhaize has made a competitive decision to continue to innovate and invest in omnichannel to attract new customers and strengthen loyalty with existing customers.

Lidl aims to increase plant-based sales in Finland

To contribute to its goal of doubling its sales of plant-based proteins by 2030, Lidl has launched its second Vegan Week event of the year. The event is themed around summer BBQ parties and features a selection of plant-based grilling products. The products are easy to identify in green packaging and will consist of Lidl’s Vemondo brand. This initiative follows Lidl’s removal of vegetarian shelves in-store with the goal of making plant-based products easier to find and purchase. In 2024, Lidl reduced the prices of Vemondo products, making plant-based proteins the same price as animal-based alternatives.

Rachel Sibson, Senior Insight Analyst’s view: Lidl aims to dispel the stigma of vegetarian food as a special diet. Through these initiatives, the discounter is proactively addressing the gap between intention and action when it comes to sustainable and healthy eating. Making the products easily available and visible helps shoppers easily switch to new products. Read our first quarterly health report showcasing global initiatives that aim to support shoppers in achieving their health aspirations.

Salling Group helps support shoppers in the event of a crisis

The Danish market leader has created an emergency supply box for shoppers, following research showing that most Danish people are not following Government advice to maintain a stock of supplies. The box, which is designed for two people, has been created in consultation with the Danish Emergency Management Association. It includes products such as canned food, toilet paper, matches and other items. Products are predominantly private label and is priced at DKK 600 (€80).

Harriet Cohen, Senior Insight Analyst’s view: this development comes at a time of rising geopolitical tensions and resulting uncertainty. Elsewhere in Europe, authorities in other Nordic countries and in Germany have provided varied and updated advice to citizens on emergency preparedness. Salling Group has taken this a step further, completing the sequential link to make suitable products accessible for emergency use.

Bipa announces expansion into Romania

The drugstore banner of the REWE Group, which operates in Austria and Croatia, recently announced it would be expanding into Romania in 2026. This announcement comes shortly after the combined turnover of these two markets passed the €1 bn milestone, and the group aims to continue this positive momentum with international expansion.

Michela Pearson, Insight Analyst’s view: the REWE Group currently only operates its Penny discount banner in Romania, and expanding its drugstore business into the market is a key part of its international expansion strategy. Bipa’s entry to Romania will challenge German drugstore giant dm, which is also its key competitor in Austria. A strong value proposition will be key to success, as Romania has experienced strong inflation in recent years and shoppers will be seeking quality products at affordable prices.

Asia-Pacific

7-Eleven trials robot delivery, launch of a new rewards app

7-Eleven trials robot delivery in Japan

The trial involves two stores from the Hachioji in Tokyo and plans to run until February 2026. Customers place orders through the retailer’s 7NOW app and staff load the robots with purchased products. The four-wheeled robots then head to their delivery destination, travelling on public roads and pavements at speeds of up to six km per hour. During the journey, robots can detect obstacles and respond to traffic lights. If the trial is a success, 7-Eleven will decide on a possible roll-out of delivery robots in more locations, both urban and rural.

Jarred Neubronner, Senior Insight Analyst’s view: Japan is a rapidly ageing country with shrinking birth rates and a declining labour force. Japanese convenience retailers already have some in-store robots doing manual tasks, such as cleaning the floor, to make up for labour shortages. This latest trial is a step forward and responds to delivery labour shortages outside of the store. For this initiative to succeed, it will need to be able to scale-up sufficiently to meet delivery demand, while maintaining profitability.

IGA in Australia launches new cashback programme

Through the new IGA Rewards app, Australian shoppers can access exclusive deals, shop-in-shop at participating retailers and earn cashback on selected items. Shoppers can redeem the cashback on participating items at any participating IGA store. 

Tan Soo Eng, Senior Insight Analyst’s view: IGA Rewards continue to get better. This cashback initiative is a great way to bring shoppers more value, encouraging them to track their rewards over time. It is also a great way to drive loyalty, especially since shoppers can use their loyalty card across all participating IGA stores.

North America

Target’s performance challenges and Amazon pilots automated vertical farming

Target reports third consecutive quarter of negative sales

In Q1, its net and comparable-store sales were down 2.8% and 3.8% respectively, with traffic and transactions also down. Its main success story was digital sales growth of 5%, led by a 36% increase in same-day delivery through its Target 360 memberships. Food and beverage sales saw a slight increase, albeit less than 1%. The retailer has lowered its full year guidance to a low-single digit decline, which was previously at around 1% growth. In response to its sustained poor performance, the business has made some significant changes, and it has launched a new multiyear strategy that aims to turn its fortunes around.

Oliver Butterworth, Senior Insight Analyst’s view: since the pandemic, Target’s performance had been impacted by lower consumer confidence, which has impacted the sales of discretionary products, and the introduction of tariffs will only exacerbate this further.  More recently, Target has begun to upweight the grocery side of its offer, however this still accounts for less than a quarter of total sales. Target’s formation of a multiyear ‘Enterprise Acceleration Office’ is led by Michael Fiddelke (COO) and aims to drive greater speed and agility in the business, leveraging technology and AI in a bigger way than before.

Amazon’s Whole Foods Market pilots fully automated vertical farming

The retailer is trialling urban farming in selected stores in Phoenix, developed by Auto Store, a Norwegian warehouse automation specialist and One Point One, an agricultural technology company. The pilot is being tested at a facility called ‘Opollo Farm’, where plants are grown on a grid of cubic moveable storage devices from Auto Store. Autonomous vehicles move plants and continuously adjust their positions to create ideal growing conditions. Ready-to-harvest vegetables are created in just 15 days (twice as fast as in traditional agriculture) and it is claimed the method uses 95% less water than conventional farming, without the use pesticides.

Lucy Beaumont, Senior Insight Analyst’s view: Amazon continues to make ambitious sustainability targets and invests in multiple start-up companies to make a difference when improving its environmental commitments. Sustainability remains high on the agenda for many retailers with initiatives being launched throughout the year. Vertical farming has been trialled across Europe, with difficulties making the initiative scalable. The scheme has potential to expand with urban areas needing space-saving solutions and more efficient use of water resources, which could be essential in water scarce regions.

Africa

French-owned Casino Group to expand in Morocco

Casino signs agreement with H&S Invest Holdings to launch in Morocco

Over the next 10 years, Casino and H&S Invest Holdings aim to open 210 Monoprix and Franprix stores in Morocco. Philippe Palazzi, Casino CEO, and Moncef Belkhayat, H&S Invest Holdings President, signed the agreement to launch the new stores in 40 cities across Morocco.

Lucy Beaumont, Senior Insight Analyst’s view: Casino has made a clever move to partner with H&S Invest Holdings, who is seeking to take advantage of the growing opportunity in the retail market in Morocco, where French-owned brands supported by Moroccan partners are having great success. It seems Casino is following in Carrefour’s footsteps who partnered with Label'Vie and operates Carrefour hypermarkets, supermarkets, Supeco and Atacadão stores.