Support employees and their families

All employees in the countries where we operate are covered by mandatory public social protection schemes that safeguard against potential loss of income due to illness, unemployment, work-related accidents, retirement due to disability or old age, and situations related to parenthood. However, because we count on each other and believe in doing the right thing – two of our Values – we are committed to going further. That’s why, in 2025 we invested more than 53.6 million euros in initiatives that complement public health and education responses, as well as in internal social responsibility programmes supporting employees in situations of vulnerability or social emergency.

Health

In Poland, Biedronka has a programme in place to support employees facing serious, life-threatening illnesses or disabilities by funding treatment and rehabilitation. In 2025, a total of 11 employees benefited from this programme.

It also implemented the “Z troską o partnera” (Taking Care of a Partner) programme, offering financial support to cover urgent expenses related to medical treatment for the spouses of Biedronka employees. At Hebe, the “Wracaj do zdrowia z Hebe” (Return to Health with Hebe) programme, launched in 2024, covers co-payment for treatment of employees and close family members involved in accidents with implications for their health or affected by an illness. In 2025, these programmes benefited 77 people.

Through the “Mali Bohaterowie” (Little Heroes) programme, Biedronka provided support to 488 children of employees suffering from rare diseases or who have special needs, corresponding to an investment of over 344,000 euros.

Education

The “Aprender e Evoluir” (Learn and Grow) programme, implemented in Portugal since 2008, was created in partnership with the Qualifica network of centres (specialising in the professional qualification of adults seeking education or vocational training certification) and enables employees to complete Years 6, 9 or 12 of compulsory education during working hours. Since its launch, the programme has helped more than 3,600 employees, including 215 in 2025.

In Biedronka, employees were supported in managing their household budgets, particularly at the start of the school year – a critical period for many families. 5,200 school kits were distributed to the children of employees starting Year 1.

Biedronka once again organised holiday camps for the children of its employees which, in 2025, welcomed 1,000 children between the ages of 8 and 13. In Colombia, Ara organised recreational activities that brought together employees and children during the school holidays, aimed at building children’s artistic, communication, social and cognitive skills, as well as nurturing the relationship between parents and children through educational activities.

Family support

In Poland, Biedronka has a programme in place to allocate funds in response to requests from employees facing difficult life situations. These requests are assessed by a committee responsible for managing the Social Fund, a mechanism required under Polish law. In 2025, the programme provided 2,645 social support grants to employees. The Company also granted 6,362 loans with special conditions to employees to address housing-related needs. Together, these two Social Fund mechanisms replaced the “Możesz Liczyć” (You Can Count on Biedronka) programme. In 2025, support for employees in situations of vulnerability and social emergency represented an investment of 6.8 million euros¹.

Biedronka also offers employees e-codes electronic cards (e-codes) that can be used in stores at four specific times of the year (Easter, holidays, return to school, and Christmas), representing an investment of 31.8 million euros.

In Colombia, Ara has three social support programmes: Fiado, Payflow and “Fondo de Empleados: A Tu lado” (Employee Fund: By Your Side). Fiado allows employees to buy products at Ara stores on credit, deducting the amount from their salary at the end of the month. Payflow allows employees to receive advances on part of their salary, depending on the number of days already worked in the month, to gradually cover their expenses. In 2025, this programme was extended to all regions where Ara operates, enabling 3,027 employees to use this mechanism. “Fondo de Empleados: A Tu lado” is an existing mechanism for large companies in Colombia, providing access to loans with lower interest rates than those charged by banks and informal markets. In 2025, the fund financed loans granted to 7,076 employees, mainly for the purchase of motorcycles, education needs, and financial consolidation. For access to this support programme, employees must be members of the fund and undergo training that gives them the knowledge they need for the responsible use of credit.

At special moments in our employees’ lives, such as the birth of a child, 2,200 employees in Poland received kits for newborns. On Children’s Day, 48,800 employees’ children under the age of 12 received a gift.

At Christmas, Biedronka offered gifts to all employees and their children up to the age of 18, customised for each age, which included food and non-food products. A total of 171,600 gifts were distributed, representing an investment of more than 10.4 million euros. In Portugal, vouchers were offered to 13,043 of our employees’ children to use in Pingo Doce stores, and all employees received a bottle of sparkling wine and bolo-rei (traditional Portuguese Christmas cake), corresponding to an investment of over 485,000 euros.

¹ Includes 6.2 million euros from the Social Fund loaned to employees under special conditions, which is subsequently repaid.