Action continues to grow: the Dutch non-food discounter raised its sales 20.9 % to 9.6 billion in the first three quarters of this year, thanks to both new shops and new customers.
350 new stores
Most of that 20.9 % growth came courtesy of the opening of 189 new stores, while the existing stores achieved a 9.8 % growth like-for-like. The chain says the latter is driven by an increase of the number of customers, who were attracted by the thousands of price reductions Action has introduced in 2023 and 2024.
The 189 stores Action opened in the first nine months of 2024 brought its total number of locations to 2,755 in twelve European countries. In the full-year 2024, the chain aims to open 350 stores, twenty more than expected. This means Action would open some 160 stores in the last quarter of 2024.
Focus on Southern Europe
The discounter is focussing its efforts on Southern Europe, with Italy and Spain its fastest growing markets. Action recently opened its 100th store in Italy and its 50th in Spain. The chain also entered the Portuese market in February, opening six more stores in the country since.
A new hub in Illescas (near Madrid) should enable Action to continue that growth. The retailer expects to develop at least five distribution centres in the next two years in Europe. They will have to meet the same sustainability standards as the hub in Madrid, which is the first Action warehouse to be heated completely without gas.
