RetailDetail EU
Europe - EN
  • België - NL
  • Belgique - FR
  • Nederland - NL
  • Europe - EN
  • Newsletter
  • Contact & Route
Members' area
  • Log in
  • Become a member
  • News
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Electronics
    • Beauty/Care
    • DIY/Garden
    • Leisure
    • General
  • Events
    • OVERVIEW EVENTS
    • EVENT PARTNERSHIPS
  • Advertising
    • PRINT ADVERTISING
    • ONLINE ADVERTISING
  • Members’ area
RetailDetail EU
Europe - EN
  • België - NL
  • Belgique - FR
  • Nederland - NL
  • Europe - EN
  • Newsletter
  • Contact & Route
  • News
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Electronics
    • Beauty/Care
    • DIY/Garden
    • Leisure
    • General
  • Events
    • OVERVIEW EVENTS
    • EVENT PARTNERSHIPS
  • Advertising
    • PRINT ADVERTISING
    • ONLINE ADVERTISING
  • Members’ area
Members' area
  • Log in
  • Become a member
thumb
Written by Jorg Snoeck
In this article
Share article
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • email

E-commerce is no priority for Action yet

icon
General16 November, 2020

The trial project set up by discount chain Action with pick-up points did not prove to be a triumph: the retailer puts sales in its physical stores first and focusses on expansion.

 

Stores continue to grow

Discounter Action has again published particularly strong figures recently, despite store closures due to lockdowns in several countries. The coronavirus is hardly slowing down the retailer. In contrast to many rivals, the company sees little benefit in e-commerce: after all, physical stores continue to grow strongly, says chief executive Sander van der Laan in newspaper De Tijd: “In our business model, e-commerce is still not a priority. Our stores continue to attract more customers, who also buy more. Last year our existing stores grew by 5.6 per cent”.

 

According to its CEO, Action’s model has two strengths: “We offer everyday products at a low price and our stores have a surprise-factor. Two-thirds of our assortment is constantly changing. Due to our growth, we were not interested in e-commerce in the short run”.

 

Click & collect does not boom

Because the stores in Belgium and France had to close during lockdown, the retailer decided to open pick-up points in some French stores and in the Antwerp region. A trial that did not yet yield overwhelming results, says Judia Elkadi, director of Action Belgium: “It is still very difficult to organise these pick-up points. Customers have to pick up their parcels outside because they are not allowed in the store. Our five pick-up points aren’t yet booming. It’s a side project since our physical stores already absorb our attention. We want to open them all up again, offering our complete range”.

 

The retailer continues to focus on physical expansion, although the strongest growth in the Benelux is now behind. In Belgium, the discounter wants to expand from 188 to 200 stores and in Germany, the 400th store will open soon. France has surpassed the Netherlands as the largest market. Recently the retailer expanded to the Czech Republic, next year it will be Italy’s and Spain’s turn. In five years, Action wants to have stores in twelve countries, as opposed to the current eight.

 

More about... General
See more
  • icon
    General20 August, 2025
    How Noz aims to become world leader in stock clearance

    Noz already bought up stock from bankrupt chains such as Casa, Esprit and Habitat, but sees it going bigger in the future. The French seller of leftover stock is going for world leadership and wants to become the outlet partner for brands.

  • icon
    General20 August, 2025
    What Gen Z and young millennials expect from e-commerce

    The future of e-commerce is in the hands of Gen Z and young millennials (ages 18-35). By 2030, Gen Z is estimated to account for nearly 20% of global consumer spending. Yet their dissatisfaction with delivery threatens to undermine growth.

  • icon
    General20 August, 2025
    Pinterest becomes (temporarily) a secondhand shop

    Pinterest is going secondhand with Thrift Shop, a temporary shopping experience where users can buy secondhand and vintage items directly. The digital pop-up, from Aug. 20 to Sept. 26, shows how the platform is increasingly explicitly breaking down the boundaries between inspiration and shopping.

Events
  • 17
    Sep
    CAPTAINS OF RETAIL 2025 – EDITION II
  • 25
    Sep
    RETAIL MARKETING DAY 2025
  • 20
    Nov
    RETAILDETAIL NIGHT 2025
Most read
  • icon
    Fashion29 July, 2025
    Why Inditex keeps reducing its store network
  • icon
    General31 July, 2025
    With its first non-food store, Lidl is taking on Action and TEDi
  • icon
    Electronics24 July, 2025
    MediaMarkt confirms “advanced” takeover talks with JD.com
  • icon
    Electronics31 July, 2025
    JD.com takes a stake in Ceconomy (MediaMarkt) with an eye on a full takeover
Follow RetailDetail
  • socialFacebook
  • socialTwitter
  • socialInstagram
  • sociallinkedIn
footer-logo
RetailDetail, the leading b2b-retailcommunity in the Benelux, keeps retail professionals up-to-date by means of online & offline publications, retail events, inspiring retail hunts and the unique co-creation platform The Loop, where retailers and their suppliers can experience the future of shopping.
Mailing Address
Kolveniersstraat 7, bus 26 2000 Antwerp
Visiting address
Stadsfeestzaal – Meir 78 2000 Antwerp
How to reach us:
Directions
© 2025 RetailDetail
general conditions | privacy policy
Contact us About us info@retaildetail.be
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Accept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the ...
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT