Action begins operations in Slovenia 

The Dutch variety discounter has entered Slovenia, opening its first store in Velenje and marking the country's debut as the retailer's 16^th European market. A second Slovenian store is already planned for Maribor as Action begins a broader expansion programme in the market. 

Insight Partner, Dan Butler’s view:

Action's arrival will intensify competition in value-focused non-food categories, particularly household products, homewares, seasonal ranges and general merchandise, increasing pressure on pricing and promotional activity. Suppliers may benefit from a new route to market and additional volume opportunities, but will also face heightened demands for low-cost sourcing, efficiency and differentiated product innovation as retailers seek to defend share against the discounter. 

To learn more about Action, see our Europe’s variety discounters build momentum report. 

Migros considering consolidation of cooperatives 

The Swiss retailer is reportedly evaluating the reduction of its cooperatives, reducing the number of 10 down to three, or consolidating them altogether. The fragmented nature of the business with so many regional cooperatives has been cited as one of the reasons for muted performance from the group. No decision has been made at this time. 

Senior Insight Analyst, Michela Pearson’s view: 

Migros has seen significant change in the last few years, shedding many of its non-grocery units and bringing its focus fully onto Switzerland by selling its French and German stores. Bringing operations into a more simplified and streamlined cooperative model would certainly help reduce friction in the business; chief rival Coop Schweiz did this back in 2001, when it consolidated its 14 cooperatives into a single unit.  

Italy and Albert Heijn team up to champion genuine Italian food 

Albert Heijn has partnered with Italy’s Foreign Trade Institute on a nationwide campaign to promote authentic Italian food and drink products across more than 500 stores and its digital channels in the Netherlands. Running until November 2026, the initiative highlights genuine Italian products through themed promotions, while also helping shoppers distinguish authentic Italian goods from ‘Italian sounding’ imitations. The programme is expected to generate significant visibility and create new opportunities for Italian suppliers to gain listings with the Dutch market leader. 

Insight Partner, Dan Butler’s view:

this initiative combines shopper education with commercial opportunities, helping shoppers discover authentic products while giving Italian suppliers greater access to one of Europe's most influential grocery retailers. Other retailers can learn from the approach of combining category storytelling, supplier development and in-store theatre to create a destination campaign that drives shopper engagement beyond simple price promotions. Suppliers can also see the value of collaborating with retailers on origin-led marketing that highlights quality, provenance and authenticity. 

Alcampo installs ESLs in 84 stores   

Spanish retailer Alcampo is planning a €8.3 million investment to launch electronic shelf edge labels in 84 supermarkets. The retailer plans to install 560,000 ESLs replacing the traditional paper SELs, manufactured by Hanshow and installed with Slimline TM system. This investment will replace using 1.84 kilometers of barrier strips each year, saving 8.4 tons of CO2.  

Senior Insight Analyst, Lucy Beaumont's view:  

Alcampo continues to invest in bringing efficiencies to the forefront of it operations. With the introduction of ESLs the removal of manual paper price changes frees store teams to focus on availability, service, merchandising and replenishment. The introduction of the ESLs will also contribute to the retailers decarbonisation strategy, which they reduced by 4% in 2025 compared to 2024.  

What to read next: How is gamification developing across Europe? 

Looking for more insight? 

Subscribers can find out more on our Europe market hub.