Discount retailer Action announces 3,000th store in Europe and 157th physical location in Italy

Action, a Dutch non-food discount retailer, has opened its 3,000th store in Europe, which is also the 157th store in Italy, in the Italian town of San Rocco al Porto in the southern part of Lombardia.

Action pulls in an average of 18.7 million customers every week in 3,000 stores across 13 European countries.

“We started 32 years ago with a small discount store in Enkhuizen, the Netherlands. Ever since, we have been expanding from country to country. Two months ago, we opened a first store in Switzerland. Right now, we are preparing a first one in Romania in the autumn of this year as well. Opening our 3,000th in a country where our customers welcomed us so enthusiastically is extra special. The location in San Rocco al Porto in Lombardia is our 157th in Italy, just four years after we opened our first one,”  says Hajir Hajji, CEO at Action.

“Our success is built on our formula and the commitment and engagement of our teams and partners, which we are very proud of. I want to thank our customers, our colleagues, our suppliers, and everyone else who supported us”

The new location is situated at Strada Statale 9, Via Emilia 100 and clocks in at more than 867 square metres.

Victoria (V) Wilkes

Victoria (V) Wilkes is starting a new chapter as Head of Fraud and Security at Action.

They were previously at Primark where they worked for over ten years, most recently serving as Asset Protection Manager.

In a Linkedin post, Wilkes said: “Joining Europe’s fastest growing retailer is both exciting and humbling. Action is a company known for its energy, simplicity, and strong values and I’m truly looking forward to contributing to its continued success and growth.”

“This role is about more than preventing fraud and managing risk, it’s about building trust, enabling safe growth, and fostering collaboration across the business. I’m especially looking forward to connecting with a talented and passionate team… and finally seeing them all in Action. Thank you to everyone who’s supported me on this journey, mentors, colleagues, friends, and family. Here's to new challenges, new learnings, and a new chapter.”

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Physical stores will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards, which are now open for entries, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.