Several major retail chains planning new stores
Estonia's major grocery chains — Selver, Grossi and Coop — are continuing their active expansion this year and plan to open new stores in several locations.
Selver plans to open two new stores in the second half of the year — one in Pärnu and another in Jõelähtme Municipality. The chain has no plans to close any locations in 2026.
According to Selver's head of communications, Mariann Järvela, competition in the grocery retail sector is fierce, with stores fighting for every customer. She expressed hope that retail volumes will return to growth, as they have been in decline in recent years.
Grossi Toidukaubad also has expansion plans. Two new stores are set to open in Harju County, with additional locations planned for Tamsalu and Paikuse. Like Selver, Grossi has no plans to shut down any existing stores.
The chain's owner, Oleg Gross, acknowledged that competition in Estonia is extremely tight and that retailers' markups are relatively low.
"When the government tries to claim that merchants are pocketing too much money, that's simply not true," Gross said. "Nowhere else in Europe is competition as intense as it is in Estonia. Markups here are the lowest, which sounds paradoxical, because our food prices are relatively high. But the high prices have other causes."
Coop has the most extensive expansion plans of all. The chain will open a total of 13 new stores this year, six of which will be in entirely new locations, while seven will replace existing stores. New outlets are planned for Keila, Uulu, Narva and Elva. In addition, Coop will renovate 11 existing stores, according to Rainer Rohtla, CEO of Coop Estonia (Coop Eesti Keskühistu).
Rohtla also expressed hope that the downward trend in retail volumes could come to a halt this year.
"The most significant shift for the economy and the retail sector in 2026 would be if Estonia's inflation rate truly stays around 3 percent, as forecast by Bank of Estonia. That would bring about a sense of stability," he said.
Lidl has announced plans to open a new store this year in Tallinn's Järve Center, where a large Selver is already located. "That plan remains in place and preparations are in full swing," the company stated.
Rimi, meanwhile, does not plan to open any new stores this year, nor to close any. CEO Kristel Mets said the focus in 2026 will be on renovating existing stores. Reflecting on the expansion plans of other retail chains, Mets noted the need for balance in the market.
"I'd personally hope that some stores will close, too, so the total retail space dedicated to grocery stores remains the same for Estonians," she said.
Mets added that while several stores opened at once in Keila last year, this year retailers seem to be directing more attention toward Pärnu.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski
