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).[1]
The name "føtex" is a mix of the Danish words "Fødevarer" (daily groceries) and "Textil" (textiles).
History
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.[2]
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