Top 50 Retail chains of Belgium and The Netherlands

Bpost relinquishes its number one position to Crelan. This is due to the June 2024 merger between AXA and Crelan, which continued together under the name Crelan. As a result, they rose by a whopping 288 outlets (vkp) and Crelan went from #4 to #1 in the Belgian ranking.  

The Dutch number 1 remained unchanged. Albert Heijn also retains the leading position of the Top 50 in 2025. They have the most outlets (vkp) as well as the most shop floor space (WVO).  

Shifts in the Top 50  

Despite the bankruptcy of large chains like Blokker and Bristol, there are few major changes and the Dutch ranking remains fairly stable. However, there is a newcomer in the Top 5: Primera. Since the creation of the rankings in 2016, Primera grew by 80 outlets and climbed from 12th position to 5th. This growth is partly the result of the ban on tobacco sales in supermarkets.  

In Belgium, besides Crelan, there is another new leader. This year, COLRUYT holds the No 1 position for most shop floor space (WVO) for the first time. Already competing for this title since 2016, they often placed just below ALDI and Carrefour Market. They increased by 12,060 m² of shop floor area (WVO) compared to 2024.  

Hema breaks through in Belgian Top 50  

notable change in the Belgian Top 50 is the newcomer: Hema. A familiar face in the Dutch rankings where they have been in the Top 10 in both points of sale (vkp) and shop floor area (WVO) for years.  

Hema has been expanding abroad for several years, including England, France and Belgium. And with 5 new outlets in Belgium, Hema places itself in the Belgian Top 50 based on shop floor area (WVO) for the first time.  

However, it will take some time before they will also break into the Top 50 in Belgium with the number of outlets.  

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Gertjan Slob

Gertjan Slob is the Director of Research at Locatus. He is responsible for the entire data course. During his work, he is constantly analysing data, and frequently flags interesting trends and developments.