The battle of digital shelves

This article is available for reading in Trade magazin 2025/10.

A new chapter for Wolt

Márk Maczelka
head of communications
SPAR

On 21 March SPAR moved its entire online shopping service to the Wolt platform, where delivery can be completed within an hour; the drive-in pickup option remains available.

“Through Wolt we deliver from 73 SPAR and INTERSPAR stores to approximately 3.9 million residents in 40 municipalities. We have also launched in new cities such as Eger, Szeged and Mosonmagyaróvár”,

says Márk Maczelka, head of communications at SPAR Magyarország.

The service is available every day of the week except for public holidays, and delivery fees start at HUF 399 forints and vary depending on distance. With a Wolt+ subscription delivery is free from all SPAR stores for orders above HUF 6,000.

Clubcard integration

Tesco’s online sales rest on several pillars: classic Tesco From Home delivery, nationwide pick-up points and on-demand, quick commerce partnerships all contribute to growth. Tesco From Home now reaches nearly 3 million households in more than 990 cities and towns from 36 stores.

“Consumers show great interest in online channels speed is a priority for them: this is why we offer around 10,000 products for immediate delivery”,

informs Tesco’s press office.

One of the biggest innovations from Tesco is that all Clubcard coupons and vouchers can also be redeemed when shopping online. Tesco is leveraging its omnichannel capabilities: they are operating offline and online activities in synergy, and Clubcard is the engine of personalisation.

Domestic chains are building their online presence through various strategies and partnerships

Loyal customer base

Attila Fodor
communications director
CBA

In the past few years CBA has taken a new direction in online sales: just like many of its competitors, it has appeared on the Wolt and Foodora platforms. CBA places great emphasis on competitive prices, so that it remains attractive in terms of cost as well as convenience.

“Our online channel tends to be used for smaller, impulse purchases, while the majority of customers still do their big shopping in our brick-and-mortar stores”,

explains communications director Attila Fodor.

The strength of CBA’s online orders lies in a high level of loyalty: more than 70% of shoppers are repeat customers. This indicates that those who choose CBA are satisfied with the service and loyal to them.

Sustainable omnichannel

Attila Nagy
sales director
Auchan

From 1 April 2025 online orders can be placed not only through Auchan’s nationwide home delivery service, but also via the Wolt quick commerce format, which is now available in all Auchan stores (both hypermarkets and supermarkets). Auchan Magyarország will continue to offer its own delivery service from a wider range of products, while the Wolt partnership is a new option for fast home delivery.

“We have expanded our online offering and now you can order food and certain non-food items in one basket. You can also redeem loyalty points. Our first autonomous store, Auchan GO is operated by the e-commerce team, and further integration of the two platforms is also in the plans”,

reports Attila Nagy, sales director of Auchan.

They reach customers with personalised offers through the channels and at the times that are most convenient for them.

For consumers, comprehensive service, high-quality products, adequate selection, and speed are the most important factors

In the shadow of the margin freeze

Ádám Fürjes
head of webshop
Rossmann Magyarország

Ádám Fürjes, head of the Rossmann Magyarország Kft. webshop notes that inflation in 2024 led to more price-sensitive decisions, shopping baskets became more planned, and coupons and loyalty programme entries strengthened. This trend continued in the first months of 2025, but in the last six months the margin freeze has become the biggest challenge in the drugstore category.

“Conscious shopping prevails: bigger baskets, fewer impulse purchases. Fast delivery and flexible pickup have become the norm, so parcel lockers and in-store pickup are popular. Immediate, even next-day delivery is now considered a basic expectation”,

adds Ádám Fürjes.

Rossmann is making its interfaces more user-friendly and it is simplifying navigation and product search.

“Always Worth It” online too

Roland Kanyó
marketing and
PR-manager
dm

In 2024 and early 2025 dm focused on improving customer experience and conversion. Sales were boosted by the omnichannel approach – especially the emphasis on express delivery in campaigns – and the loyalty programme.

“Our customers expect a fast, intuitive and visually inspiring online environment and the fastest possible access to products. Impulse buying has dropped and the demand for detailed product information has strengthened”,

outlines Roland Kanyó, marketing and PR manager at dm Kft. The average basket value has increased, so the majority still reach the free shipping threshold. The “Always Worth It” pricing strategy offers stability, while on the operational side the optimisation of logistics processes and the introduction of dmBOX have brought progress. Dm improves the user experience with personalised recommendations, visual aids and a smart search engine; the dm app is continuously tested and fine-tuned.