Shopper complains about rearranged goods in Rimi stores; retail association offers possible reasons
A shopper told TV24's “Uz līnijas” programme that products in Rimi stores have been moved around and are hard to find. Henriks Danusēvičs, president of the Latvian Retailers Association, suggested uncertainty after the chain's sale could be a factor.
Products in stores of Rimi, one of Latvia's major grocery chains, have been moved around so much that even staff cannot always help customers find them, a shopper said on the TV24 programme “Uz līnijas”. Henriks Danusēvičs, president of the Latvian Retailers Association, commented on possible reasons. The chain gained a new owner less than a year and a half ago: the Danish retailer Salling Group.
The viewer said the problem is not limited to one location but has been seen in several stores, including in Jelgava and Dobele. After the goods were rearranged, she said, it has become harder to find one's way around.
What the industry representative says
Danusēvičs said he has followed developments with interest since the news of Rimi's sale. He explained that Salling Group focuses more on the lower-price segment in other markets, while Rimi has so far positioned itself as a mid-range to higher-priced chain. In his view, it is still not entirely clear which direction Rimi will take, and that uncertainty may be influencing what is happening in stores. He did not name a specific cause.
The association president also stressed that shoppers in Latvia have a wide choice: dozens of brands operate in the grocery sector, so everyone can pick what suits them by price, convenience and habit.
Background to the deal
On 2 June 2025, a deal was completed in which Salling Group bought Rimi Baltic for €1.3 billion, covering the whole Baltic store network plus e-commerce and logistics. Since 2007 the company had belonged to Sweden's ICA Gruppen. Rimi Baltic's 2024 turnover was €1.9 billion; it has more than 11,000 employees and 314 stores in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
The new owner promised to keep the existing concept and invest in the shopping experience, with particular attention to assortment, pricing and a more customer-friendly environment. In September 2025, Salling's private-label products began to be introduced in stores, 123 items in total, including pasta, coffee, biscuits and hygiene products. About a third of them were entirely new products.
How Rimi stores will change further is not yet clear.
