Private company

Føtex

Logo: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons3

Danish retail chain

føtex is a Danish chain of supermarkets. The business was established in 1960 as the first supermarket in Denmark and later gave rise to Salling Group (previously Dansk Supermarked Group). The name "føtex" is a mix of the Danish words "Fødevarer" (daily groceries) and "Textil" (textiles).2 It was founded by Herman Salling.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 20, 2026.

Overview

Føtex, Eternitten
Photo: Jonas S., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons5

føtex is a Danish chain of supermarkets. The business was established in 1960 as the first supermarket in Denmark and later gave rise to Salling Group (previously Dansk Supermarked Group).2

The story

Founded by Herman Salling.1

Herman Salling opened the first føtex in 1960 in the street "Guldsmedgade" 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 acquired 50% of the shares and supported Sallings project financially.

As of 2006, the chain consists of 76 stores located all over Denmark.

From Wikipedia’s article on Føtex, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Leadership

Who has led Føtex, and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.

Products and brands

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. Many stores offer both self-checkout and staffed checkout.

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.

From Wikipedia’s article on Føtex, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Subsidiaries and ownership

Owners

From Wikidata.1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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