There’s no need to ask Action when and where its next shops will open in Luxembourg--the brand is notoriously cagey on such things.

However, Joeri Sanders, general manager for Belgium and Luxembourg, has agreed to explain the company’s strategy in the country, just a few days after opening its 12th outlet in Luxembourg in the Gare. The Dutch company first set foot in Luxembourg in 2015, in Mersch.

Internationally, Action’s ambition for 2025 is to open one shop a day in the 13 European countries where it operates, as CEO Hajar Hajji announced a few weeks ago. Hajji was speaking on the occasion of the presentation of the financial results of the brand, whose sales soared to €13.8bn euros in 2024. The wave continues to roll, and it would be surprising if the Action giant were to stop at 12 in the grand duchy. While we wait to find out, its recent arrival in the city raises three questions.

1. Why the Gare?

“It’s not a typical retail location,” admits Sanders, “but Action shops work well in all types of retail environment, whether it’s a shopping centre, a retail park or a stand-alone location.”

At number 32, rue du Fort-Neipperg, the shop is slightly set back from the main shopping street, i.e. the Avenue de la Gare, which “allows us to keep prices low, which is a key element in our formula,” says Sanders, who took up his post in 2022. Low rents are one of the many features shared by the chain’s more than 2,900 outlets in 13 countries. Switzerland, as of April 2025, is its latest destination. Romania, Croatia and Slovenia are next.

Returning to Luxembourg: “This location in the Gare met all our criteria,” says Sanders. “It’s over 900m2, which allows us to present our entire range while guaranteeing a comfortable shopping experience, with wide aisles and a welcoming atmosphere. The shop is also “easily accessible, with parking options nearby. What’s more, like all our shops, it doesn’t run on gas and uses energy-efficient LED lighting, which helps to reduce our carbon footprint.”

2. What is the recipe for Action in Luxembourg?

“The heart of our success is our unique formula,” Sanders comments, pointing out that the range is based on 6,000 products. “A third of our range is fixed, and every week we introduce 150 new items, which keeps our offer fresh and relevant. As a result, consumers are making more and more visits. Last year, Action recorded more than 18m customers passing through its checkouts each week, a figure that has risen by around 19% in one year.”

At Action, as highlighted in a recent article in Le Monde, less than 10% of products sold cost more than €5. “We keep things simple,” says Sanders. “Our purchasing is centralised at the international head office in the Netherlands [editor’s note: where the brand was founded in 1993]. This means that we buy for more than 2,900 shops, which allows us to order in large quantities and reduce costs.”

3. What are the star products in Luxembourg?

“In Luxembourg, our customers like to pick up basic necessities such as cleaning products, cosmetics and other everyday items, which are very popular,” says Sanders. “But, overall, purchasing behaviour is consistent with that observed in other countries.” All the more so because “around 90% of our range is the same everywhere.” Why’s that? “We focus on what unites our customers rather than what sets them apart. We adjust 5-10% of the range locally to include country-specific brands or, for example, adapted bed linen sizes. But wherever we are, our aim remains the same: to offer quality at the lowest price.”

“Luxembourg is one of our smallest markets in terms of shop numbers, but our success here proves that people are just as keen to buy quality products at low prices, while becoming increasingly concerned about sustainability, as in any other country,” he adds.

This article in French.