What is Jumbo doing strategically?

Jumbo discontinued its regional price differentiation across five Dutch pricing zones and replaced pure EDLP with EDLP+, a model that keeps a stable low-price floor but layers high-visibility stunt promotions on top. The 'Price Storm' campaign, covering more than a thousand products, now runs in both the Netherlands and Belgium.

The move targets the specific buyer behaviour Jumbo was losing: Dutch price-sensitive shoppers who respond to weekly deal theatre rather than structural low prices they cannot easily see. It also directly mimics the promotional mechanics that Albert Heijn has used successfully to defend margin while appearing affordable. If Jumbo executes consistently, it could stop the weekly basket-switch to Lidl and Aldi in price-led categories.

The model is directionally correct, but it depends on execution discipline that Jumbo has historically struggled with when its commercial team is stable, let alone during a full leadership handover. The first two quarters under the new CEO will determine whether EDLP+ becomes a durable system or a campaign that fades when internal attention moves to the brand rebuild.

Jesper Hojer, formerly CEO of Lidl International from 2017 to 2019, took the Jumbo CEO role on 1 January 2026. He has publicly stated that Jumbo needs to become 'fast and simple again' and has committed to more promotions, including on meat categories that a previous strategic direction had pulled back from. He has also simplified the executive committee and flagged a multi-year store modernisation plan.

Lidl's operational model is built on simplicity, small SKU counts, and promotional intensity. Jumbo's model is built on breadth, service, and the 'seven certainties' positioning. Applying discount-chain management instincts to a full-service operator is not automatically transferable. Hojer's instinct to add more promotions is already visible in the new brand campaign, but full-service customers also make trade-offs on range and service that pure promotions cannot compensate for.

The appointment buys Jumbo credibility on price discipline and operational speed. It creates risk on the parts of the value proposition that made Jumbo distinctive versus Lidl: broad assortment, quality fresh, and service warmth. Competitors that own a clear non-price positioning have a window to pull away those shoppers before Hojer's full-service muscle memory catches up.

Belgium turnover grew 25% in 2025 to nearly EUR 500 million. Jumbo has more than 40 Belgian stores, with four additional openings planned in 2026 and a franchise transfer programme underway for some locations. Customer satisfaction in Belgium increased a further 5% year on year.

Belgium is the most credible signal that Jumbo's commercial reset is not just a home-market recovery story. A 25% revenue increase in a foreign market, ahead of the local market, while also growing customer satisfaction, is evidence of real operational execution rather than marketing positioning. For Belgian competitors, this is not a pilot any more. It is a scaled competitor with funded growth plans.

The Belgium business is healthier than the Dutch business on growth rate and customer sentiment trajectory. Jumbo will push harder there in 2026 because the payoff is cleaner. Belgian grocery operators should treat Jumbo as a tier-one competitive threat now, not a distant Dutch chain.