føtex
 | |
| Industry | Retail |
|---|---|
| Genre | Supermarket |
| Founder | Herman Salling, 1960 |
| Headquarters | Højbjerg, Denmark |
Area served | Denmark |
| Parent | Dansk Supermarked Gruppen |
| Website | http://fotex.dk |
føtex is a Danish chain of retail stores. It was the beginning of the Dansk Supermarked Gruppen (Danish Supermarket Group).
The name "føtex" is a mix of the words Fødevarer (daily groceries) and Textil (textiles).
History
Herman Salling opened the first føtex in 1960 in the street "Guldsmedegade" in the city of Århus in Denmark. Føtex in many ways revolutionized the way in which the Danes shopped: this was the first time the Danes saw a non-food (electronics, clothes, perfumes, books etc.) and a food department gathered under one roof.
In 1964, Herman Salling, ancestor of Ferdinand Salling, realized that to compete with other initiatives starting in those years, he needed a strong financial support. He contacted the A.P. Møller-Mærsk Group which accuired 50% of the shares and supported Sallings project financially.
As of 2006, the chain consists of 76 stores located all over Denmark, with føtex in Ringsted as the newest store, opened October 18, 2006. Further expansion is planned.
A typical store
Inside a typical føtex, there is a food section, a deli and a non-food section. The food section is like a full-service supermarket, with a bakery and a butcher.
The non-food section includes electronics, cosmetics and clothing among other general things.
Føtex also launched an e-commerce area with the ability to print digital photos. The online store also includes music downloads.