A new format for Slovakia: Biedronka blends food retail with drugstore assortment

By: Rennack Sebastian Date: 2025. 12. 09. 09:26

🎧 Hallgasd a cikket: Nyelv: Sebesség: 1.05×

Biedronka introduces a hybrid format to Slovakia that combines discount food retail with a sizeable health & beauty assortment. The concept targets rural gaps in drugstore supply while addressing Slovak shoppers’ high sensitivity to value and local sourcing.

Sebastian Rennack
international retail analyst
Aletos Retail

Biedronka’s flagship store in Slovakia signals a format ambition that goes beyond classic food discounting. The retailer positions itself as a hybrid between a food supermarket and a drugstore, a combination that clearly differentiates it in a market where the drugstore channel remains fragmented and lacks a category-defining player like Rossmann in Poland. By addressing several shopping missions under one roof, Biedronka creates additional reasons for customers to visit more frequently, an approach that fits its early-expansion strategy focused on rural and semi-urban catchment areas.

Local adaptation also plays a central role. Drawing on its Polish experience of flexibly adjusting stores to different neighbourhoods, Biedronka operates Slovak outlets with sales areas ranging from 450 to 800 square metres. This enables a potentially fast roll-out in an already competitive grocery landscape.

Inside the store, the concept blends operational hard-discount efficiency with a noticeably more supermarket-like atmosphere. Fresh produce islands, bakery visuals, category-specific lighting and elevated finishes in alcohol demonstrate how atmospheric cues are used to upgrade the shopping experience without compromising productivity.

At the same time, value communication remains omnipresent, with orange price messaging running consistently across all categories. Local relevance is reinforced through the SK Špeciality range and the integration of Slovak suppliers across all categories, alongside the international private label architecture. Technology supports both customer convenience and cost control: electronic shelf labels, self-checkouts and a clear front-end journey ensure a fast shopping trip while safeguarding efficient operations.

Taken together, Biedronka is building a format that merges discount discipline with supermarket appeal, positioning itself as a hybrid newcomer in the Slovak grocery market.

Biedronka’s flagship store in Slovakia is modelled on the newest Polish store concept, including the Slovak slogan „Nízke ceny každý deň“ (low prices every day)

At the entrance, two islands = one for fruit and one for vegetables – create a fresh and inviting first impression. A dedicated lighting concept also adds a noticeably more elevated shopping atmosphere right at the start of the shopper journey

The consistent use of orange price messaging across the whole store makes the value proposition immediately visible to shoppers

Right after the produce section a dedicated ‘Super Cena’ promo gate marks the beginning of the dairy, cheese and charcuterie section

Biedronka’s chilled convenience segment stands out through a clear split between the traditionally oriented Naše Dobroty (Our Delicacies) range, equivalent to Poland’s Nasze Smaki, and the recently introduced orange Yeemy line that focuses on street-food and fast-food offers

Biedronka has introduced Slovak regional products under its new SK Špeciality label, illustrated here with Pražská šunka (Prague Ham) carrying the EU PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) seal that highlights certified regional origin

On the way toward the back of the store, Biedronka opens its confectionery category flow with biscuits and wafers, using price points of below 1 euro to establish strong value right at the start of the customer journey

The bakery section is framed by large wall signage and features a predominantly bake-off assortment complemented by selected regional bakery items delivered from local producers

Two chilled shelf units present mainly Slovak confectionery and cakes, with prominent value signage underscoring the traffic-driving role of this locally oriented assortment

As Biedronka in Slovakia so far operates without serviced counters, the chilled section concludes with the meat assortment in wall chillers, complemented by adjacent frozen vegetables in transparent low freezers and spice ranges placed above

The spice section illustrates Biedronka’s broader strategy of pairing value-driven international private label with recognised local producers

Basic food staples are merchandised in a no-frills, hard-discount presentation with full pallets and minimal shelf dressing

The entire store relies on electronic shelf labels and shelf-ready packaging, underscoring Biedronka’s focus on store productivity and efficient replenishment

The household-care private labels Eden and Queen are given permanent end-cap placements, reinforcing Biedronka’s hybrid positioning that combines full grocery with an extended cosmetics and detergents assortment

The cosmetics and detergents assortment occupies nearly two full aisles, highlighting the store’s hybrid positioning

The health and beauty appeal is reinforced by branded fixtures for decorative cosmetics from Essence, Catrice and Niuqi

On the way back toward the checkout, the salted snacks assortment is presented in large shelf-ready packs in a hard-discount style, structured across Biedronka’s TOP private label, international manufacturer brands and local Slovak producers

The alcohol department presents itself as a dedicated shop-in-shop, using wood-effect finishes, graphite shelf navigation and targeted lighting to create an elevated, specialist-liquor-store atmosphere

The Super Cena promotional shelf, positioned as the final stopping point before the cash line, groups leaflet offers so shoppers can easily access all promotions not placed on end caps or regular shelves

Next to the Super Cena shelf, non-food tables present the weekly rotating promotional assortment

The checkout area uses wood-effect fixtures that hold single shelf-ready packs instead of quarter pallets, giving Biedronka more control to fine-tune second placements without committing to full pallet volumes per supplier

The self-checkout zone features self-service checkouts with a compact impulse assortment, reinforcing a fast-flow layout and aligning with Biedronka’s efficiency-focused operating model