ACTION debuts in Italy with several store openings in the North of the country
The international non-food discount store-chain Action arrives in Italy. Starting from Vanzaghello in the Milanese area and Turin, the retailer aims to open at least a total of five stors within the next 3 months. For every store 20 local jobs will be created, a total of more than 140 employees will be hired until the end of this year. Currently, Action employs around 70 employees in Italy. Action surprises millions of customers in more than 1,700 stores across Europe with low prices and a broad offer of essential daily products as well as products that make life easier, more colourful or just more fun. The stores will open its doors to the public on Thursday, April 22nd with all relevant safety and hygiene measures in place.
Action, one of Europe’s leading non-food discount store-chains enters the Italian market. With its low prices and surprising offer, Action attracts every week more than nine million customers in eight countries and has been elected “Retailer of the Year” in several categories in many of its operating countries. Italy will be the ninth country.
“Italy is a very interesting country for us and Vanzaghello and Turin are the perfect locations to start with. The stores are located in fantastic retail environments – the one in Turin directly in the neighbourhood and in walking distcance for many consumers, in Vanzaghello in a modern retail parc setting,” says Monique Groeneveld, General Manager Start-Up countries, who is currently in charge of Italy.
‘Surprise’ and ‘low prices’ distinguish Action from many other non-food discounters on the market. This combination creates a shopping experience which fascinates customers in all of the eight countries where Action is already operating. “We are confident that the Italian customers will be as enthusiastic about our concept as our customers in the other eight countries: At Action everybody will find something that catches his or her interest. There are so many products at good quality and yet, at surprisingly low prices. And the best: It never gets boring. Our assortment is constantly changing, every week more than 150 new products are introduced to our stores.”, continues Groeneveld.
Action stores usually occupy a sales area of 800 to 1000 square metres and will offer almost anything that is needed for daily life: its wide array of 6.000 different products in 14 categories comprises decoration, DIY, toys & entertainment, stationery & hobby, multimedia, household, garden & outdoor, laundry & cleaning, food & drink, personal care, pet, sports, clothing and linen.
“We are happy to welcome our first Italian customers in Vanzaghello and Turin, today. It is great to see, how our employees worked together towards this day with excitement, despite all the challenges and restrictions due to COVID pandemic over the past months. Teamwork and dedication made this possible”, explains Groeneveld. In the course of the pandemic, Action implemented stringent safety and hygiene measures in its stores such as protection shields for the cash registers or desinfectants at the entrance for carts as well as the hands. This way customers and employees can shop and work with piece of mind.
The inauguration of the two stores in Vanzaghello and Turin will be followed by at least three further stores that are about to open in the North-West of Italy within a time frame of three months. The openings are organized by the local management team in close collaboration with the headquarters in the Netherlands. The store will be operated by a team of 20 employees – from store employees, to assistant store managers, to a store manager. Action hires people from various different backgrounds and offers flexible working conditions. Thanks to the company’s store set-up, growth plans and culture, Action does not only create new jobs for local communities – it also offers opportunities for employees to grow. More than 1,500 people were promoted within the organisation in 2020.
