After Carrefour, another foreign supermarket chain could leave Italy: Penny. According to rumors in Corriere della Sera, its 500 stores in Italy, despite a turnover approaching €2 billion, could end up in the hands of other chains: Aldi or perhaps Lidl (also German).

Penny Market was founded in 1994, from a partnership between Bernardo Caprotti , founder of Esselunga, and the Rewe Group. After the opening of the first store in Cremona in 1999, the partnership dissolved and Rewe became independent, briefly bringing another discount brand, Bila, to Italy. Its over 130 stores were then sold to Carrefour and Conad in 2014.

However, rumors of a possible sale (in whole or in part) of Penny's Italian network have been firmly denied by the company itself. "Penny Italia is not the subject of any sale. The Rewe Group fully confirms its commitment to the Italian market, which it considers strategic," a statement read.

"Penny Italia is currently engaged in a structured development and transformation process, supported by concrete investments in: modernization of the sales network; optimization of logistics; environmental sustainability; and new openings already planned for this year," concludes the Rewe Group.