Record Year for Greece’s Supermarket Sector
Greece’s organized retail industry ended 2025 with turnover surpassing €15 billion, marking the strongest performance on record. Despite ongoing pressure on profit margins and persistent cost challenges, major supermarket operators demonstrated resilience throughout the year.
January to November 2025 sales expanded by 6.2%, a rate that doubled the sector’s 2024 growth and set the stage for an exceptional year, particularly as December traditionally delivers the highest seasonal revenue.
Fast moving consumer goods generated more than €12.6 billion by November 2025, already matching the full year total of 2024 when growth reached 3.1%. Financial statements from the country’s leading chains reflect similar dynamics.
Profitability remained compressed, with the Greek Supermarket Association reporting an industry net profit margin of 1.65% in 2024, down from 1.84% the previous year.
Market Dominance by a Handful of Leading Chains
The supermarket landscape continued to be shaped by 5 to 6 dominant groups among more than 40 chains operating nationwide. Sklavenitis solidified its top position with turnover near €5 billion, while Lidl and AB Vassilopoulos followed with sales close to €2 billion each.
Other significant players included Masoutis, Metro, Galaxias, Carrefour under Retail and More, and several smaller regional operators. Approximately one quarter of all supermarket turnover stemmed from discounted items, underscoring the intensity of price driven competition.
Structure and Drivers of Market Growth
Standardized goods recorded a 5.6% rise in sales during the first 11 months of 2025, while loose and weighted products increased by 8.5%. As a result, packaged items accounted for 77.7% of supermarket turnover compared with 22.3% for loose goods.
Food categories played a decisive role in boosting performance, delivering a 6.5% lift in physical stores. Online demand strengthened as well, with fresh food sales advancing 6% and packaged goods up 3%.
Personal care products edged higher by 2%, and cleaning supplies followed with a 1.9% increase, reflecting measured but steady consumer activity across non food categories.
Price Trends and Shifting Demand
Average price levels rose 1.6% across FMCG categories, driven mainly by a 2.5% increase in food prices. Meanwhile, personal care products became 1.3% cheaper and cleaning products fell 0.6%.
Snacks delivered the strongest growth, climbing 10.3% in sales alongside a 7.9% rise in prices. Frozen foods and dairy also posted robust gains of 8.9% and 8.5% respectively.
Expansion of Private Label and Role of Promotions
Private label products advanced 7.5% in the January to November 2025 period, outpacing the 4.8% rise recorded by branded goods. As a result, private label secured 27.3% of the overall market, with an even stronger 27.9% share in food.
Discounted products constituted 24.3% of total supermarket sales, illustrating the prominence of promotional strategies. Promotional activity expanded in food categories but eased in personal care and cleaning segments.
