Salling Group

What Salling Group does

Salling Group A/S is Denmark's largest grocery conglomerate, operating 2,100+ stores across six European countries (Denmark, Germany, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) under a multi-format portfolio that includes discount (Netto, Rimi), hypermarket (Bilka, Føtex), department store (Salling stormagasiner), specialty retail (BR toys, Flowr flowers, Skagen Food), and licensed food-service formats (Starbucks, Carl's Jr.). Founded in 1906 by Ferdinand Salling and headquartered in Brabrand, Denmark, the group serves approximately 15 million customers per week and employs more than 68,000 people. The 2025 acquisition of Rimi Baltic added 314 stores and over 11,000 employees, making it the largest M&A transaction in the company's history.

The business runs on what is described as the largest private cloud deployment of SAP S/4HANA globally, with SAP Joule integrated as the AI layer for forecasting, replenishment, and store operations automation. Technology and analytics are also being deepened through partnerships with TCS (cloud migration and digital transformation), WPP Media (retail-data-driven commerce intelligence), and Visual Art (digital signage infrastructure). The core revenue model is direct-to-consumer physical retail across multiple price-point formats, with the group operating as a horizontally segmented retail conglomerate rather than a unified product platform.

Salling Group is 100% owned by Salling Fondene, a charitable foundation that has donated DKK 2.5 billion to education, culture, sports, and social causes since 2012, meaning profits are returned to society rather than distributed to external shareholders. Strategic direction is organized around the Aspire '28 plan, with 2025 marking record-high revenue and investment levels, and forward momentum signaled by new Salling department store openings in Copenhagen, an Icelandic procurement partnership with Hagar hf, and continued technology investment across the enlarged footprint.

Name

Salling Group

Legal name

Salling Group A/S

Website

https://sallinggroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1906

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Salling Group A/S is Denmark's largest grocery conglomerate, operating 2,100+ stores across six European countries under multiple banners (Bilka, Føtex, Netto, Salling, Rimi, BR), serving 15 million consumers weekly. It is wholly owned by Salling Fondene and runs the largest global private cloud deployment of SAP S/4HANA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Grocery Retail

NAICS

Grocery and Convenience Retailers (4451), Specialty Food Retailers (4452), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Retail-Grocery Stores (5411), Retail-Food Stores (5400), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Bulk & Case-Lot Food Retailers (Non-membership) (CRAHACAF)

Keywords

• Grocery retail
• Hypermarket operations
• Discount supermarkets
• Department store retail
• Multi-format retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Brabrand

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Grocery Retail Operations: Core retail revenue from selling groceries and consumer goods through physical stores across multiple formats (hypermarkets, supermarkets, discount, department stores) and brands (Bilka, Føtex, Netto, Salling, BR, Rimi)

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Salling Group operates a multi-format retail business selling groceries, household goods, and general merchandise through owned physical stores under brands including Bilka (hypermarkets), Føtex (supermarkets), Netto (discount), Salling stormagasiner (department stores), BR (toys), Rimi Baltic (Baltic grocery), plus Skagen Food, Flowr, and licensed Starbucks and Carl's Jr. franchises. The group serves 15 million customers weekly across 2,100+ stores in Denmark, Germany, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Product overview

Salling Group is Denmark's largest grocery conglomerate, operating a multi-format retail portfolio consisting of discount chains (Netto), hypermarkets (Føtex, Bilka), department stores (Salling Stormagasiner), specialty retail (BR toys, Flowr flowers), and food service franchises (Starbucks, Carl's Jr.). Following its 2025 acquisition of Rimi Baltic, the group has expanded into the Baltic market with 314 additional stores. The company serves 15 million customers weekly across 2,100+ stores in Denmark, Germany, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The portfolio is unified under corporate ownership rather than a single product platform, with each brand operating distinct retail concepts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bilka Large-format hypermarket chain in Denmark offering groceries together with electronics, home goods, and general merchandise under one roof.
• Føtex Full-service supermarket chain in Denmark offering a wide range of food and household products.
• Netto Discount supermarket chain operating in Denmark, Germany, and Poland, offering selected favorite items at fixed low prices alongside weekly promotional offers.
• Salling Stormagasiner Department store chain in Danish cities offering fashion, beauty, home goods, and food hall concepts, including Copenhagen locations.
• BR Toy retail chain operating stores across Denmark selling toys and children's products.
• Rimi Baltic Baltic grocery retailer operating four formats (Rimi Hypermarkets, Rimi Super, Rimi Mini, Rimi Express) with 314 stores and over 11,000 employees across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
• Skagen Food Specialty food retailer offering premium and gourmet food products within the Salling Group portfolio.
• Flowr Flower and plant retail chain operating within the Salling Group portfolio.
• Starbucks (licensed franchise) Coffee shop franchise operated within Salling Group stores in Denmark.
• Carl's Jr. (licensed franchise) Fast food restaurant franchise operated within Salling Group stores in Denmark.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15 million customers served weekly
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Hagar hfcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026New procurement partnership enabling Hagar's Bónus and Hagkaup stores in Iceland to reduce prices on hundreds of products. Described as a milestone in Icelandic grocery retail.
• WPP MediacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 January 2026Partnership to integrate Salling Group's retail data with WPP's Open Intelligence for Commerce. Aims to improve targeted marketing campaigns and measure campaign performance without data sharing, leveraging retail data from several European countries.
• Visual ArtcoreTechnology or Integration · 12 August 2025Five-year agreement encompassing Visual Art's digital signage software, full technical migration, remote and on-site support, and integration with Salling Group's current ad tech platform. Plans to explore new functionalities related to audience data, campaign measurement, and sensor-based activation.
• Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 16 June 2025Long-term strategic partnership for digital transformation and AI-enabled cloud migration. TCS supports cloud adoption and operations stabilization across 2,100 stores and 68,000 employees in 6 countries (Denmark, Poland, Germany, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia), aimed at driving agility, scalability, and sustainability.
• DBU (Danish Football Association)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Historic partnership to promote equality, better well-being and education through football. Covers all national teams from U16 to women's and men's senior teams, Pigeraketten and DBU Football School.
• Team DanmarkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership since 2009 through Salling Fondene supporting Danish athletes with access to experts in sports physiology, nutrition, mental health, and more.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sallinggroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Salling Group