Penny (Hungary)

Penny Hungary (Hungarian: Penny Magyarország) is a hungarian discount supermarket chain owned by the REWE Group from Germany, with around 3,000 stores across Europe. In Hungary, Penny operates 227 stores. The first store is opened on June 6, 1996, in Szentes. The headquarters is in Alsónémedi.

According to the Coface CEE Top 500 ranking, Penny Hungary was the 40th and 38th largest company by revenue in Hungary in 2021 and 2022, respectively. In Central and Eastern Europe, it ranked 289th in 2021 and 326th in 2022.

History

Penny store in Érd.

Penny was the fourth discount chain to enter Hungary after Profi, Plus, and Jééé. These earlier chains were known as soft-discounters, focusing on simplifying product displays and employing fewer staff. Over time, these chains have left Hungary.

Loyalty program

Penny was the first discount chain in Hungary to start a loyalty program, called the PENNY Card, introduced in 2009. With this card, you can win instant prizes and get weekly discounts on various products. Penny was also the first among the currently operating discount chains in Hungary to sell newspapers, and it's the only one where you can buy medicines.

Product range

Penny Market is the oldest hard-discount store chain in Hungary. This means they only offer one or two types of their own-brand products in many categories to keep costs low. They have about 2,000 products in their regular lineup, with 800 of these made by Hungarian companies. They also add seasonal products (like aprons, hair dye, fans) and sometimes introduce seasonal items that become permanent. They have a relatively broader selection in some areas like cleaning products, but a limited own-brand range in others, such as certain food groups.