Bavo Vanhalst (Dreambaby, Supra Bazar): “Together, we can achieve so much more, without all becoming the same”

Supra Bazar’s megastores have been a household name in West Flanders for decades, but today the family-owned business is determined to make a name for itself beyond the province’s borders. Under the Vanhalst Retail Group umbrella, the retail company already includes Dreambaby, Kabine, and Qiddo -and its ambitions don’t stop there. CEO Bavo Vanhalst shares his mission exclusively at Retail Marketing Day.

Unplanned, but doing it anyway: “that, too, is entrepreneurship”

Never make the mistake of calling Vanhalst Retail Group a retail holding company. “We’re truly a retail group, not seven different companies located in the same retail park”: according to Bavo Vanhalst, the internal dynamics of the family business make all the difference. “My brother and I are shareholders and active directors at Dreambaby, Kabine, and Qiddo. We help steer the companies to create synergies, but we also ensure that each concept retains its unique identity. The culture must be preserved; otherwise, you end up with a one-size-fits-all approach.”

The entrepreneurs quickly realized the importance of culture, for example, during the integration of Dreambaby. “For us, that was a learning curve, because we had to get to know the company. For them, it was also an adjustment. Agility and speed are a plus, but you have to make sure things don’t move too fast and that the organization can keep up.”

After exactly the same number of store closures under Colruyt, Dreambaby is now growing again from 27 to 32 stores. At the same time, existing stores are being renovated or remodeled. “In total, that amounts to ten or eleven projects over the last twelve to thirteen months. That’s very demanding operationally. I have enormous respect for our operations team.”

These investments are weighing on profitability in the short term. Nevertheless, the group is consciously prioritizing speed. Although some opportunities arose sooner than expected, such as Leen Bakker’s departure from Belgium. “Renovating stores was simply necessary. And the new locations fill in gaps, such as in Herstal, Anderlecht, Woluwe, and Genk. It wasn’t on the schedule for 2026, but that, too, is part of doing business.”

Kabine: a smaller gem

Kabine is also being given room to grow. The recent opening in Kortrijk is set to be an important test. Until now, Kabine mainly had stores on the coast, which operate according to specific seasonal and weekend patterns. A downtown area works differently. “On the coast, stores are open every Sunday because that’s when it’s busy there. In downtown Kortrijk, you might have to adjust your plans on Thursdays because everyone heads to the coast when the weather is nice. These may seem like minor details, but they have an impact on staffing, scheduling, and supply.”

Kortrijk must therefore help refine further growth in the inland regions. Expanding abroad is certainly an option as well. “Belgium is a small and saturated market. If so many foreign chains are coming to Belgium, we must also dare to look beyond our national borders. Is that a priority for 2026? No. But at the family and holding company levels, we are certainly exploring where we can grow or collaborate, both online and offline.”

“The right things at the right time”

For Vanhalst, it all ultimately comes down to customer focus. The Circle of Life strategy must not become an excuse to constantly offer customers more products. “It’s not about running yet another promotion with the sole aim of selling in bulk. Of course, sales are important, but in the long run, that’s not the most important thing.”

So what is the most important thing? “Offering the customer the right things at the right time. With the right customer focus, you’ll go much further in the long run than by simply focusing on selling as much as possible.”

In this, he sums up the ambition of Vanhalst Retail Group: not wanting to be the biggest just for the sake of being the biggest, but remaining relevant at every stage of the customer’s life. From baby registries to school bags, from the first college dorm to the first child, and from online convenience to the in-store experience. “Together, we’ll go much further,” Vanhalst concludes. “And perhaps even faster than if every company tried to navigate on its own in a market that’s only getting more complex.”

This interview is the final part (3/3) of a three-part interview series with Bavo Vanhalst, in anticipation of his upcoming keynote at Retail Marketing Day 2026. This year, Retail Marketing Day will feature the resilient and agile stories of retailers who are rewriting the rules of the game, including AVA, Albert Heijn, Planet B, and more.