August 15, 2025 • 10 mins
From AI-powered supermarket lanes to shifting consumer habits, Alexandra Boisson & The Retail Podcast team unpack Europe’s retail trends.
In this Five Things Friday – EU Edition, Alexandra Boisson and Alex from The Retail Podcast dive into the latest shifts in the European retail market.
We cover:
Colruyt’s Easy Checkout: AI-powered cameras speeding up lanes by 70% (via RTL.be).
French Summer Sales Decline: Only 39% of shoppers participated vs. 43% last year, with fewer purchases and smaller spends (via Actu-Retail).
Birkenstock: Profit beats expectations despite trade tensions (via Reuters).
Douglas Beauty: Strong sales in Germany and CEE offset French softness (Douglas).
Carlsberg: Modest growth, cautious outlook for the second half (Carlsberg Group).
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hello and welcome to another fantastic edition of Five Things
Friday EU Edition now. And now I'm I'm a bit all over
(00:20):
the place. It's a little bit of chaotic in
the retail podcast headquarters because there's so much going
on. And we're joined by my wonderful
Co host Alexandra. What's on Alex, as I'll be
referring to her from from here on out.
And we're going to split the show into two parts.
We're going to jump in with Alex's top of mind.
What are the news stories for her?
And then I'll finish off with the three, but we'll, we'll put
(00:42):
them in two sections. So hopefully for this week that
will be OK. And she's just shared with me
some lovely news that she'll also be at NRF Europe, which
we're both very excited to do. And I'll get to go to the VIP
section in the business parts, right?
It's not right. Yes, we see you in person there.
(01:03):
Yeah, we we will get to I'll be able to poke you.
I'm not advice. You're real Alex that I'm
talking to. So listen, let me let's get
straight into this. Tell me what is top of mind for
you this week. So the first topic this week is
about coal rights, which is one of the one of Belgium's largest
(01:25):
supermarket chain. They are introducing a new
checkout system across their 200stores called Easy Checkout.
So instead of scanning barcodes one by one, they are installing
an overhead smart camera mountedabove each lane that will
automatically recognise the products when the employee
(01:47):
transfers them from a cast to another.
So you have to know that this this supermarket already had an
unusual checkout process where you have where they are already
transferring items from one cartto another.
This is to avoid having both hands taken and go faster.
(02:08):
So the system has been developedin house their innovation team,
but also in partnership with thecompany Helio Vision.
And they have tested this since 2023.
It already identifies 85% of theof their items, even when they
have multiple barcodes like multi bags.
(02:29):
Yeah, and it just makes check upto 70% faster, so you're.
Going to love it. Yeah, and it's nice week out
process a little bit faster, although, isn't it?
I'm sure there's sometimes people you can see in the queue
that love to have a good chat with the checkout person.
For me, if it helps get it get the experience shorter, that's
(02:49):
got to be cool. Yes, exactly.
And also something I wanted to share is that some large items
will be scanned manually, for example packs of water or beer.
So that's the exception. The first fifty stores will get
the upgrade in September, OK. And the full rollout in Belgium
and Luxembourg will be planned by the end of 2026.
(03:12):
So sorry, so you. Just melt pissed out so you
don't worry. Yeah.
So, yeah, I think this is a goodexample of how AI is being used
again for incremental but impactful change in retail.
So call rate isn't reinventing checkout entirely.
This is, yeah, this is not a biginnovation, but it's removing a
(03:35):
repetitive step and they're speeding things up for customers
and stuff. And it's also a step forward
fully visual product recognition, which could
eventually make barcode scanning, you know, it could
make it could make it disappear in supermarkets in the in the
future. That's that's interesting to
see. That's fantastic, I love it.
(03:56):
OK. And what's #2 for you?
And #2 is about the French summer.
The reason why I chose this topic is because the numbers
shows how much shopping habits are changing currently.
So after four weeks of summer, after four weeks of summer
sales, the numbers confirm it fewer people are taking part.
(04:19):
So only 39% of French shoppers joined in this year compared to
43 last year. And on average they have made
2.7 purchases and spent about 1,€115.00 in total.
So it's not a lot and most of the action actually happened in
the first two weeks and then theinterest dropped very quickly.
(04:42):
Because everyone's on holiday, right?
They're all at the beach. Yeah, it's usually in August,
but you know, summer sales is still a big thing.
When do they start? What's the context?
They start in July, right? Yes, exactly.
Always the IT depends on the shops and the stalls on how long
it lasts. But yeah, usually the beginning
(05:03):
is very popular. It used to be, you know, a big
thing where, for example, a personal example is that with my
mom when I was younger, we used to go, you know, in the shops
before the sales to yeah, choose.
What you want? To choose what we wanted to buy.
Yeah. For later.
And we would queue in the morning of on the first day to
(05:24):
get the item. Yeah.
And you've seen these videos of people queuing and waiting in
front of the shops and it's justnot happening anymore.
To lose, yeah. Yes, exactly.
And to lose in my hometown. Yeah.
But what is interesting is that it's the sectors like tech,
fashion, beauty and HomeGoods that also declines.
(05:46):
And there is another reason alsowhy people are not so interested
anymore is because we now have access to discounts all year
round on platforms like, for example Timmy or Aliexpress.
We discussed this in the last episode already, so you already
know my opinion, but it just makes the seasonal sales feel
(06:08):
less special. And then in terms of major
actors, major players, So Amazonstill leads the way, but this
time jumped ahead of Sheen into 4th place.
So this is showing a growing taste for sports and outdoor
gear. As you said, people are going on
holidays, so they will be looking for outdoor equipment.
(06:30):
I've. Gone took a lot of my money this
summer. I had to buy some surf equipment
and so they they were very kind in taking my money.
But but it was in the summer sales.
I did do it in the sales. I think the caffeine do a
fantastic job in general. Yes, a great ambassador of a
French retailer. They do, they do.
And they are expanding really quickly in the UK too.
(06:51):
So yeah, it's really amazing to see.
So, yeah, that was the second topic.
So I think just to conclude thatif the traditional sale sales
still matter, especially early on, innovation in pricing and
service will be key to staying relevant for retailers and it's
clear that they will have to find new ways to create
(07:13):
excitement. I got you.
Well, look, Alex, thank you so much for sharing with us.
Apologies. We we had to move things around.
Are you I can't remember you. I know you had holiday already.
Are you around next week? No, I'm not.
I'm leaving tomorrow. Until you come back from
holiday, have a wonderful time. Thank you, Alex.
(07:34):
Birkenstock, the German footwearicon.
Despite the headwind of new US tariffs, the companies actually
managed to step past profit expectations this quarter.
The key strong full sell price through a firmer gross margin at
60.5%. Revenue came in just shy of
forecasts at 635,000,000, but management strategy of modest
(07:58):
price increases and keeping muchof its manufacturing within the
EU seem to have cushioned the blow from trade tensions.
Investors like what they saw. Shares were up about 5% in
permanent trading. It's a reminder the brand
strength and discipline price can be powerful armour against
policy driven shocks. Over in the world of beauty,
(08:19):
Europe's leading beauty retailerDouglas also delivered upside
surprise. Adjusted EBITDA landed 158.2
million, comfortably ahead of expectations, demonstrating the
power of beauty and how people are still looking towards beauty
as a category up for indulgence.Cells hit the 1 billion mark.
(08:40):
Growth in Germany and Central and Eastern Europe more than
made-up for the softer performance in France.
For a sector often seen as discretionary, Douglas numbers
hint at the resilience and premium segment.
Consumers might be cutting back elsewhere, but they're still
willing to spend on a little bitof luxury.
But unfortunately it's not upbeat everywhere.
(09:02):
Carlsberg, the Brewer behind Tuborg and 1664 reported half
year results that mis forecast. My advice to Carlsberg non
alcoholic, that's where your future will be.
Organic operating profit was up 2.3% to 7.23 billion.
So still significant market in Danish Corona.
While volume slipped nearly 2%, management nudged its full year
(09:25):
guidance higher to 3 to 5% growth.
But the tone was cautious, flagging a tougher second-half.
For retailers and grocers. This is a useful bellwether.
If one of Europe's brewing giants is feeling the squeeze,
it suggests consumers are being more selective, even in
categories, once for staples. So in the space of single
(09:47):
earnings morning, we've seen three different shades of of
consumer sentiment. Heritage footwear brand walking
tall despite tariffs, a beauty retailer proving premium still
has pool, and a Brewer feeling the chill of more cautious
spending. Together, they paint a nuanced
picture. Europe shoppers aren't shutting
their wallets entirely, but they're picking their moments
(10:09):
and their brands more carefully than ever.
And with that, thank you for tuning into this week's episode
of Five Things Friday EU Edition.
And as Alex said, we shall see you in two weeks.
Have a lovely summer break.
Hello and welcome to another fantastic edition of Five Things
Friday EU Edition now. And now I'm I'm a bit all over
(00:20):
the place. It's a little bit of chaotic in
the retail podcast headquarters because there's so much going
on. And we're joined by my wonderful
Co host Alexandra. What's on Alex, as I'll be
referring to her from from here on out.
And we're going to split the show into two parts.
We're going to jump in with Alex's top of mind.
What are the news stories for her?
And then I'll finish off with the three, but we'll, we'll put
(00:42):
them in two sections. So hopefully for this week that
will be OK. And she's just shared with me
some lovely news that she'll also be at NRF Europe, which
we're both very excited to do. And I'll get to go to the VIP
section in the business parts, right?
It's not right. Yes, we see you in person there.
(01:03):
Yeah, we we will get to I'll be able to poke you.
I'm not advice. You're real Alex that I'm
talking to. So listen, let me let's get
straight into this. Tell me what is top of mind for
you this week. So the first topic this week is
about coal rights, which is one of the one of Belgium's largest
(01:25):
supermarket chain. They are introducing a new
checkout system across their 200stores called Easy Checkout.
So instead of scanning barcodes one by one, they are installing
an overhead smart camera mountedabove each lane that will
automatically recognise the products when the employee
(01:47):
transfers them from a cast to another.
So you have to know that this this supermarket already had an
unusual checkout process where you have where they are already
transferring items from one cartto another.
This is to avoid having both hands taken and go faster.
(02:08):
So the system has been developedin house their innovation team,
but also in partnership with thecompany Helio Vision.
And they have tested this since 2023.
It already identifies 85% of theof their items, even when they
have multiple barcodes like multi bags.
(02:29):
Yeah, and it just makes check upto 70% faster, so you're.
Going to love it. Yeah, and it's nice week out
process a little bit faster, although, isn't it?
I'm sure there's sometimes people you can see in the queue
that love to have a good chat with the checkout person.
For me, if it helps get it get the experience shorter, that's
(02:49):
got to be cool. Yes, exactly.
And also something I wanted to share is that some large items
will be scanned manually, for example packs of water or beer.
So that's the exception. The first fifty stores will get
the upgrade in September, OK. And the full rollout in Belgium
and Luxembourg will be planned by the end of 2026.
(03:12):
So sorry, so you. Just melt pissed out so you
don't worry. Yeah.
So, yeah, I think this is a goodexample of how AI is being used
again for incremental but impactful change in retail.
So call rate isn't reinventing checkout entirely.
This is, yeah, this is not a biginnovation, but it's removing a
(03:35):
repetitive step and they're speeding things up for customers
and stuff. And it's also a step forward
fully visual product recognition, which could
eventually make barcode scanning, you know, it could
make it could make it disappear in supermarkets in the in the
future. That's that's interesting to
see. That's fantastic, I love it.
(03:56):
OK. And what's #2 for you?
And #2 is about the French summer.
The reason why I chose this topic is because the numbers
shows how much shopping habits are changing currently.
So after four weeks of summer, after four weeks of summer
sales, the numbers confirm it fewer people are taking part.
(04:19):
So only 39% of French shoppers joined in this year compared to
43 last year. And on average they have made
2.7 purchases and spent about 1,€115.00 in total.
So it's not a lot and most of the action actually happened in
the first two weeks and then theinterest dropped very quickly.
(04:42):
Because everyone's on holiday, right?
They're all at the beach. Yeah, it's usually in August,
but you know, summer sales is still a big thing.
When do they start? What's the context?
They start in July, right? Yes, exactly.
Always the IT depends on the shops and the stalls on how long
it lasts. But yeah, usually the beginning
(05:03):
is very popular. It used to be, you know, a big
thing where, for example, a personal example is that with my
mom when I was younger, we used to go, you know, in the shops
before the sales to yeah, choose.
What you want? To choose what we wanted to buy.
Yeah. For later.
And we would queue in the morning of on the first day to
(05:24):
get the item. Yeah.
And you've seen these videos of people queuing and waiting in
front of the shops and it's justnot happening anymore.
To lose, yeah. Yes, exactly.
And to lose in my hometown. Yeah.
But what is interesting is that it's the sectors like tech,
fashion, beauty and HomeGoods that also declines.
(05:46):
And there is another reason alsowhy people are not so interested
anymore is because we now have access to discounts all year
round on platforms like, for example Timmy or Aliexpress.
We discussed this in the last episode already, so you already
know my opinion, but it just makes the seasonal sales feel
(06:08):
less special. And then in terms of major
actors, major players, So Amazonstill leads the way, but this
time jumped ahead of Sheen into 4th place.
So this is showing a growing taste for sports and outdoor
gear. As you said, people are going on
holidays, so they will be looking for outdoor equipment.
(06:30):
I've. Gone took a lot of my money this
summer. I had to buy some surf equipment
and so they they were very kind in taking my money.
But but it was in the summer sales.
I did do it in the sales. I think the caffeine do a
fantastic job in general. Yes, a great ambassador of a
French retailer. They do, they do.
And they are expanding really quickly in the UK too.
(06:51):
So yeah, it's really amazing to see.
So, yeah, that was the second topic.
So I think just to conclude thatif the traditional sale sales
still matter, especially early on, innovation in pricing and
service will be key to staying relevant for retailers and it's
clear that they will have to find new ways to create
(07:13):
excitement. I got you.
Well, look, Alex, thank you so much for sharing with us.
Apologies. We we had to move things around.
Are you I can't remember you. I know you had holiday already.
Are you around next week? No, I'm not.
I'm leaving tomorrow. Until you come back from
holiday, have a wonderful time. Thank you, Alex.
(07:34):
Birkenstock, the German footwearicon.
Despite the headwind of new US tariffs, the companies actually
managed to step past profit expectations this quarter.
The key strong full sell price through a firmer gross margin at
60.5%. Revenue came in just shy of
forecasts at 635,000,000, but management strategy of modest
(07:58):
price increases and keeping muchof its manufacturing within the
EU seem to have cushioned the blow from trade tensions.
Investors like what they saw. Shares were up about 5% in
permanent trading. It's a reminder the brand
strength and discipline price can be powerful armour against
policy driven shocks. Over in the world of beauty,
(08:19):
Europe's leading beauty retailerDouglas also delivered upside
surprise. Adjusted EBITDA landed 158.2
million, comfortably ahead of expectations, demonstrating the
power of beauty and how people are still looking towards beauty
as a category up for indulgence.Cells hit the 1 billion mark.
(08:40):
Growth in Germany and Central and Eastern Europe more than
made-up for the softer performance in France.
For a sector often seen as discretionary, Douglas numbers
hint at the resilience and premium segment.
Consumers might be cutting back elsewhere, but they're still
willing to spend on a little bitof luxury.
But unfortunately it's not upbeat everywhere.
(09:02):
Carlsberg, the Brewer behind Tuborg and 1664 reported half
year results that mis forecast. My advice to Carlsberg non
alcoholic, that's where your future will be.
Organic operating profit was up 2.3% to 7.23 billion.
So still significant market in Danish Corona.
While volume slipped nearly 2%, management nudged its full year
(09:25):
guidance higher to 3 to 5% growth.
But the tone was cautious, flagging a tougher second-half.
For retailers and grocers. This is a useful bellwether.
If one of Europe's brewing giants is feeling the squeeze,
it suggests consumers are being more selective, even in
categories, once for staples. So in the space of single
(09:47):
earnings morning, we've seen three different shades of of
consumer sentiment. Heritage footwear brand walking
tall despite tariffs, a beauty retailer proving premium still
has pool, and a Brewer feeling the chill of more cautious
spending. Together, they paint a nuanced
picture. Europe shoppers aren't shutting
their wallets entirely, but they're picking their moments
(10:09):
and their brands more carefully than ever.
And with that, thank you for tuning into this week's episode
of Five Things Friday EU Edition.
And as Alex said, we shall see you in two weeks.
Have a lovely summer break.
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