AB Vassilopoulos: Future of low-price promotions remains undecided
It remains unclear whether AB’s September–October promotions will continue, as the Greek supermarket chain expands its own-label offering.
Published
Whether AB Vassilopoulos will extend its September–October low-price promotional programme remains undecided, according to a Bankingnews report dated 29 September 2026. For those involved in franchising in Greece, the news highlights the commercial strategy accompanying the chain’s transformation: keeping prices down, expanding its own-label offering and uncertainty over how long specific promotions will last.
What is known about the promotions
According to Bankingnews, AB Vassilopoulos said it was unclear whether the two-month September–October low-price promotional programme would continue. This is the key point for planning the next trading period. The report provides neither a firm decision on what will follow nor a detailed timetable for new promotions once the two-month programme ends.
This distinction matters because the report’s headline refers to an end to promotions. However, the information presented establishes uncertainty over the continuation of a specific programme, rather than a definitive end to all the chain’s promotional activity. Nor does the available material disclose new price lists or specific price increases by product category.
The news, therefore, is not that a chain-wide pricing change has already been agreed. Rather, the duration of this particular initiative beyond October has yet to be clarified. For franchisees, this is a reason to seek timely information, not a basis for assuming decisions have been made.
The €250 million commitment and own-label products
The same report states that the company allocated €250 million in the previous year to keeping prices down. It also increased the share of own-label products. These two points describe the measures management presented in response to rising prices, without providing a full breakdown of how they were implemented.
In particular, the available material does not specify how the €250 million was allocated across commercial initiatives or store formats. Nor does it indicate how much directly relates to franchised stores. The total therefore cannot be used as a measure of the financial support provided to any individual franchisee.
For own-label products, the report confirms the direction of expansion but gives no specific share, list of new products or target for the next period. Their increased share is a confirmed element of the presentation; the available data does not establish its impact on an individual store’s sales or margins.
Pricing policy within the transformation
The discussion about promotions coincides with the restructuring of AB’s store network. According to a report by Greek broadcaster SKAI, also dated 29 September 2026, the company’s turnover exceeded €2 billion in 2025. The transformation, with a greater emphasis on franchising as a central element, is scheduled to run until 2028.
Bankingnews links this approach to lower costs for the chain and its drive to become more competitive. It also conveys the view that small neighbourhood stores will prove resilient, while medium-sized outlets will come under pressure. This is an assessment included in the report, not a development already demonstrated across the market.
For the franchise community, the significance lies in these two parallel priorities: a greater emphasis on franchising and a continued effort to offer competitive prices. However, the reports do not clarify whether the next phase of promotions will come with different terms for franchisees. They therefore provide no evidence of a change to franchisees’ contractual or financial obligations.
What franchisees need to check
Based on the information made public, existing and prospective franchisees should focus on specific questions: how long the next promotions will run, which products will be included and how the promotions will be implemented in stores. These are matters requiring clarification, not newly announced franchise terms.
Likewise, the expansion of own-label products should be assessed against each outlet’s sales mix, rather than solely on the basis of the chain’s overall direction. The available reports provide general context, but they are no substitute for the store-specific financial information needed to make a business decision.
Practical takeaway: Uncertainty over whether the promotions will continue does not mean they are being scrapped. Before changing your store’s plans, seek official information about the next trading period and the terms for taking part in promotional activity.
