Action Holding B.v.
Action Holding B.V. operates 3,300+ non-food discount retail stores across 15 European countries. The Dutch, privately held firm stocks about 6,000 affordable products per store, serves roughly 22.1 million customers weekly, and reported approximately €16 billion in 2025 revenue.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersZwaagdijk-Oost, Netherlands
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Action Holding B.v. does
Action Holding B.V. is a privately held Dutch non-food discount retailer founded in 1993 in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. It operates more than 3,300 physical stores across 15 European countries (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland), serving approximately 22.1 million customers weekly with everyday non-food merchandise at low unit prices. The company reported revenue of approximately €16 billion in 2025 and employs more than 84,000 people from 160+ nationalities. Its two operating entities — Action Nederland B.V. (stores) and Action Service & Distributie B.V. (headquarters and distribution centres) — are both headquartered at Perenmarkt 15, 1681 PG Zwaagdijk-Oost, Netherlands.
The core retail proposition rests on a private-label-led assortment of more than 6,000 SKUs per store refreshed with approximately 150 new items each week, producing a "treasure-hunt" merchandising model. Supply chain operations are supported by proprietary distribution centres equipped with voice-picking technology, double-decker trucks carrying roughly 60% more roll containers than standard vehicles, and electric intra-DC transport with LED lighting. Back-office technology centres on SAP for finance, SAP SuccessFactors and Kronos for HRIS and workforce management, and Microsoft Power BI and SAP Analytics Cloud for management reporting; recruitment runs through the multilingual action.jobs platform integrated with WhatsApp applications. The firm operates an internal Action Academy for training and an in-house Action Studio that produces catalogues and marketing collateral.
Revenue is generated almost entirely through direct in-store consumer transactions under an everyday-low-pricing model; no e-commerce platform is in operation. The customer base is horizontal — budget-conscious European consumers across all 15 markets — with no named enterprise accounts and no subscription or tiered-pricing structure. Marketing leans on physical-store traffic, word-of-mouth, and organic social (LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube), with paid social automation through Smartly.io and Channable. In 2025 the firm added 384 new stores across 14 markets (including entry into Romania as its 14th European market), created more than 4,656 jobs, and opened its first distribution centre outside the Netherlands.
Action Holding B.v. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Action Holding B.v.
- Legal name
- Action Service & Distributie B.V.
- Website
- https://action.jobs
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Action Holding B.V. operates 3,300+ non-food discount retail stores across 15 European countries. The Dutch, privately held firm stocks about 6,000 affordable products per store, serves roughly 22.1 million customers weekly, and reported approximately €16 billion in 2025 revenue.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Action Holding B.v. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Discount Retail
- NAICS
- General Merchandise Retailers (455)
- SIC
- Retail-Variety Stores (5331), Retail-Misc General Merchandise Stores (5399)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Multi-Price-Point Convenience Discount (e.g., $1–$10) (CRAEAJAG)
Keywords
Where Action Holding B.v. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Zwaagdijk-Oost
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Action Holding B.v. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Non-Food Retail Sales: Revenue generated from selling non-food everyday products at low prices across 3,300+ stores in Europe. Products include household items, craft supplies, tools, and general merchandise. The company reduces prices of more than 2,500 products while maintaining quality and sustainability.
- Retail Operations: Standard retail revenue model with physical store sales. Company operates as a non-food discounter offering everyday products at low prices, with 150 new products introduced weekly and over 6,000 products per store.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Everyday low-price retail model |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Action Holding B.v. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Action Holding B.V. operates a non-food discount retail chain of more than 3,300 physical stores across 15 European countries, selling a constantly refreshed assortment of around 6,000 everyday products (with roughly 150 new items introduced each week) at everyday low prices. Revenue is generated from in-store product sales, supported by a proprietary European distribution network, private label products, the Action Academy employee training program, the Action.jobs recruitment platform, and an in-house Action Studio for marketing content.
Product overview
Action Holding B.v. operates as a non-food discount retail chain with a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core product is the Action retail store network offering affordable everyday products across 15 European countries. Supporting modules include the Action Academy for employee training and development, Private Label products as a key competitive differentiator, Social Media Advertising Platform for multi-market digital marketing, Action Studio for internal content creation, and a Job Alert Service for recruitment. The company manages over 3,300 stores, processes 150+ new products weekly, and generated €16 billion in annual revenue (2025).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 22.1 million customers served weekly
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Action Holding B.v.
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Action Holding B.v. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
Feature3 records
Action Holding B.v. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- SOS Children's VillagescoreAction supports SOS Children's Villages organization which provides children worldwide with care and safety they need to grow up and develop. Every Action store and team in distribution centers sponsors a child in Asia. Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, and France offices donate to SOS organizations in other countries. The company sponsors more than 2,500 children worldwide.
- SOS Children's VillagescoreEach Action store and each team in the DCs sponsors a child in Asia through SOS Children's Villages. Offices in Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, and France donate to SOS organizations in other countries.
Scale indicators16 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Action Holding B.v. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- B&M European Value Retail: B&M is a UK-listed value retailer with several hundred stores across the UK and continental Europe selling general merchandise at low prices. Its broad assortment, discount pricing, and pan-European expansion make it a comparable peer to Action's model.
- Woolworth (Europe): Woolworth (re-established in Germany and Austria) operates hundreds of variety stores selling household goods, stationery, and general merchandise at value price points. It is a European-based variety discount peer with overlapping assortment categories to Action.
- Miniso: Miniso is a Chinese-headquartered global variety retailer offering affordable household, beauty, and lifestyle goods through a large store network. Its constantly refreshed assortment and affordable pricing model position it as a direct conceptual peer to Action in the discount variety space.
- Pepco Group: Pepco Group operates the Pepco, Dealz, and Poundland value retail banners across Europe, selling general merchandise and apparel at low price points. It is a direct pan-European discount competitor with comparable store-count scale and growth ambitions.
- HEMA: HEMA is a Dutch-headquartered variety retailer selling affordable household, personal care, and apparel products in stores across Europe. It overlaps with Action on broad non-food assortment and value pricing, though with a stronger private-label orientation.
- TEDi: TEDi is a German-headquartered non-food discount variety retailer operating several thousand stores across Europe. It is the closest direct competitor to Action, with a similar everyday-low-price, treasure-hunt assortment spanning household, DIY, and seasonal goods.
- Poundland: Poundland is a UK value/variety retailer owned by Pepco Group, selling general merchandise and food at single-price or low price points. It shares Action's discount, high-rotation, multi-category store model in a different geographic footprint.
- Flying Tiger Copenhagen: Flying Tiger Copenhagen is a Danish variety/discount retailer with several hundred stores across Europe selling affordable household, gift, and lifestyle items. Its constantly refreshed assortment and low-price positioning mirror Action's treasure-hunt model.
- Five Below: Five Below is a US extreme-value retailer operating thousands of stores selling trend-right merchandise mostly under $5. Its treasure-hunt assortment and everyday-low-price model are conceptually similar to Action's, though without food and with a US footprint.
Broad incumbents
- Dollar Tree: Dollar Tree is a US multi-banner value retailer (including Family Dollar) operating thousands of stores selling a wide assortment of general merchandise at fixed low price points. It is a broad incumbent in the same discount variety category as Action but operates in North America.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Action Holding B.v. social profiles
Digital presenceAction Holding B.v. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Action Holding B.v. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Action Holding B.v. subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Action Holding B.v. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Action Holding B.v. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Action Holding B.v.
What does Action Holding B.v. do?
Action Holding B.V. operates a non-food discount retail chain of more than 3,300 physical stores across 15 European countries, selling a constantly refreshed assortment of around 6,000 everyday products (with roughly 150 new items introduced each week) at everyday low prices. Revenue is generated from in-store product sales, supported by a proprietary European distribution network, private label products, the Action Academy employee training program, the Action.jobs recruitment platform, and an in-house Action Studio for marketing content.
Is Action Holding B.v. a public or private company?
Action Holding B.v. is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Action Holding B.v. founded?
Action Holding B.v. was founded in 1993. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Action Holding B.v. based?
Action Holding B.v. is headquartered in Zwaagdijk-Oost, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Action Holding B.v. make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Non-Food Retail Sales are the primary driver. The others are retail Operations.
Who are Action Holding B.v.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are B&M European Value Retail, Woolworth (Europe), Miniso, Pepco Group, HEMA, TEDi, Poundland, Flying Tiger Copenhagen and Five Below. Dollar Tree is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Action Holding B.v. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Action Holding B.v..
What industry is Action Holding B.v. in?
Action Holding B.v.'s product category is Discount Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAEAJAG, Multi-Price-Point Convenience Discount (e.g., $1–$10). Its NAICS code is 455 and its SIC code is 5331.