Food
New York Pizza opened its first Belgian restaurant in Leuven yesterday. The rapidly growing Dutch chain wants to open ten branches in Flanders next year.
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In Belgium, discounter Lidl has opened a store with a warmer decoration and a completely new layout. Shoppers can discover several inspiring 'eating worlds'. It is a test.
General
The end of the lockdown is in sight for Belgian retailers: next Tuesday, on the 1st of December, all stores may reopen. Retailers must strictly respect the known security measures, however.
French food retailer Monoprix wants to conquer Europe, including the Benelux. But who is this Parisian, who suddenly wants to bring the "French touch" abroad?
In France, Black Friday will be delayed by one week: Minister of Economy Bruno Le Maire is asking for the sales event to be postponed. Retailers agree on the condition that all stores are allowed to reopen.
Fashion
No one knows how they will pronounce it, but from now on French consumers can also shop online at De Bijenkorf. Following the launch of a French-speaking Belgian webshop, the department store chain is now attacking France.
The largest Aldi in the world opens in the German Ruhr area. The XXL shop covers an area of around 2,000 square metres, twice as large as the average.
Fashion brand Sonia Rykiel rises from its ashes: after the bankruptcy last year, two co-founders of Showroomprivé ensure a relaunch online. Physical stores will follow later.
Russian supermarket group X5 has opened its first unmanned, contactless store in Moscow. 7 days a week until midnight, customers can visit the automated store which is inspired by Chinese self-scan shops and by Amazon Go.
Cosmetics
In Amsterdam, lifestyle brand Rituals has opened a first flagship store that adds new services and products in a unique world of experience. If the concept is successful, branches in more capitals will follow.
Fast-growing Chinese discount chain Miniso is now also set to conquer the French market: on Tuesday, the first branch in Paris has opened its doors. The retailer wants to open two more French branches this year.
Asda has opened its new, sustainable test store and proposed a new plastics reduction strategy. In addition, the UK supermarket chain is promising that customers will never pay more for the greener options.
Action is testing a new store concept, which is twice as big as usual: in France, a 1,600 m² store has opened its doors, the largest of the non-food discounter to date.
Furniture
French decoration chain Maisons du Monde has opened its 23rd Belgian store, in the centre of Antwerp. The retailer adds more services and brings the online world to the physical store.
Fashion retailer C&A, which already introduced a new logo and corporate identity, starts working now on a new store concept. In Zurich, the budget chain’s flagship store was the first to receive a makeover.
Ikea is to open a second-hand store, where only used and refurbished furniture from the home interior chain is sold. The new store concept is intended to help the Swedish retailer with its sustainability ambitions.
