On Thursday 19 October 2017, the Cactus Group celebrated 50 years of operation with an event at the Cactus premises in Bereldange.
The anniversary event was held in the presence of memers of the Leesch family (owners), Etienne Schneider, Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy, Francine Closener, Secretary of State for the Economy, Joëlle Elvinger, Mayor of Walferdange, and its customers.
Brothers Paul and Alfred Leesch had inaugurated the first Cactus in Bereldange, setting the stage for future trade in Luxembourg. Customers then discovered for the first time the American-style supermarket: self-service, trolleys, space, large range of products, parking, etc. - a model that was a great success, since new outlets begin to flourish soon after. Since then, thanks to the commitment of the Leesch family and its employees, the group has shown a lot of dynamism to become a major player in mass retail in Luxembourg.
Throughout the year, Cactus has been celebrating its 50th anniversary with its customers: evening events, animations, contests and exceptional promotions marked the jubilee of the Cactus group.
On the morning of 19 October, croissants and coffees waited for everyone who came to shop. In the afternoon, cake and champagne were distributed to customers. In the early evening, Minister Schneider and Secretary of State, Francine Closener, attended the birthday party at Cactus Bereldange.
Laurent Schonckert, director-general of the Cactus group, reviewed the group's evolution: "Luxembourg has been a country in the process of change for several years now. This forced us to face and adapt to new challenges. Since 2010, no less than €200 million have been invested in the modernisation and development of our network of points of sale. New projects are in progress. All this would not be possible without the commitment of nearly 4,150 employees who have enabled Cactus to forge, over the years, a solid reputation and maintain an attractive position in the Luxembourg retail market. But my thanks are mainly to our loyal customers who, since the opening of the Cactus Bereldange, visit our supermarkets across the country."
Since its creation, Cactus is run by the Leesch family. In 2001, Paul Leesch ceded the management of the Cactus group to his son Max Leesch, then appointed chairman and managing director, and Laurent Schonckert, director of the Cactus group. Today, it is the third generation that proves itself within the company Cactus.
The Cactus Group is the 2nd private employer in the country with more than 4,000 employees; it has more than 293,000 active customer cards in circulation. Each week, 450,000 cutomers pass throught its checkouts at 47 points of sale located in 45 sites across the Grand Duchy, comprising:
- 2 Cactus hypermarkets (12,000 m2 - 15,000 m2 with more than 125,000 products);
- 12 Cactus supermarkets (2,000 m2 - 5,000 m2 with between 25,000 and 40,000 products)
- 8 Cactus markets (800 m2 - 1,500 m2 with between 6,000 and 10,000 products)
- 4 hobbi Cactus (4,000 m2 - 6,000 m2 with between 60,000 and 75,000 products)
- 21 Shoppi Cactus (50 m2 - 250 m2 with between 800 and 1,200 products)
In addition, it also operates 14 Cactus Restaurants and 6 Cactus fresh sandwich shops, anh has production workshops for (a) Pastry; (b) Meat / Sausages; (c) "De Schneckert" Catering; and (d) Coffee roasting.
