The food retail year in review: Shifting balance of power

2025 was a rollercoaster of a year for food retail: a year in which the cards were thoroughly reshuffled, not only in the Benelux but also elsewhere. And not only for retailers, but also for suppliers.

Deadly combination

People who were still looking for hard evidence to support the claim that competition in the supermarket landscape is fierce were given plenty of it last year. The balance of power is shifting at an unprecedented pace, and there are no signs that the storm will subside any time soon. This is most evident in the Belgian market. Following the earlier disappearance of Makro, Mestdagh, and Match/Smatch, retail dinosaur Cora will soon be closing its doors .