Rimi Baltic
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Headquarters | Riga , Latvia |
Area served | Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania |
| Products | Hypermarkets, Supermarkets, Convenience stores |
| Owner | Salling Group |
| Parent | Salling Group |
Rimi Baltic stands as a prominent retail chain within the Baltic states, with its central office located in Riga, Latvia. It functions as a subsidiary under the Danish Salling Group umbrella.
The enterprise oversees a network of 317 outlets distributed throughout Estonia (84), Latvia (143), and Lithuania (90), each nation supported by dedicated distribution hubs. The retail formats offered include:
- Rimi Hyper – hypermarket outlets
- Rimi Super – supermarket locations
- Rimi Mini – smaller supermarkets or convenience stores
- Rimi Express – convenience-focused stores
History and ownership
The inception of Rimi Baltic dates back to February 1997, marked by the launch of its inaugural retail outlet in Latvia’s Dole shopping center.
Formed in 2004, Rimi Baltic emerged from a 50/50 partnership between Finnish retailer Kesko and Swedish ICA AB, combining their Baltic market activities. The company officially began operations on January 1, 2005. Kesko contributed its K-Citymarket hypermarkets along with discount grocery stores, while ICA integrated its Rimi supermarket chain across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. By the end of 2005, Kesko’s K-Citymarkets had been rebranded under the Rimi hypermarket banner.
In late 2006, Kesko withdrew from the partnership, transferring its shares to ICA. As of January 2007, Rimi Baltic became a fully owned subsidiary of ICA AB. Transactions involving properties formerly held by Kesko followed soon after.
On December 23, 2016, ICA Gruppen acquired UAB Palink for EUR 213 million. Palink operated IKI, Lithuania’s second-largest grocery retail chain. The Lithuanian Competition Council gave conditional approval in October 2017, requiring the divestment of 17 Rimi and IKI stores in key urban areas to maintain market competition. However, by April 2018, the council annulled the transaction after rejecting the proposed buyers due to concerns over competitive effectiveness.
Sale to Salling Group
On March 5, 2025, Swedish company ICA Gruppen announced an agreement to sell Rimi Baltic to Danish retailer Salling Group for €1.3 billion, excluding liabilities, pending regulatory clearance. The European Commission granted approval on May 5, 2025, with the acquisition expected to conclude by June 2025. The deal was finalized on June 2, 2025.
Rimi in other countries
The Rimi brand originally emerged in Norway through founder Stein Erik Hagen and was utilized by ICA for discount grocery stores prior to their conversion into Coop Extra outlets. Hagen gradually divested his stake to ICA. Additionally, the Rimi name was once applied by ICA in Sweden and Kesko in Finland; however, those stores have since transitioned to alternative formats.
The smaller-scale hypermarket concept seen in Rimi’s compact stores is also reflected in ICA’s smaller hypermarkets in Sweden, such as ICA Maxi Västra Hamnen in Malmö and ICA Maxi Enköping.
Stores
Across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, Rimi Baltic operates a total of 314 wholly owned grocery outlets, including properties held directly by the Group within the Baltic region.
- Latvia – 143 stores
- Lithuania – 90 stores
- Estonia – 84 stores