Action has been recognised for its strong business growth in the Netherlands through a national research-based award.
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Action has received the Top 250 Golden Scaler Award, recognising it as the fastest-growing company in the Netherlands for 2025. The award follows research by the Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship, which identifies and ranks high-growth firms in the country.
Founded in 1993 in Enkhuizen, Action operates as an international discount store chain. The company now serves more than 20 million customers each week across 14 European countries and opened its 3000th store in May 2025.
At the Top 250 Awards Ceremony, CEO Hajir Hajji accepted the Golden Scaler Award from Matthijs Welle, CEO of Mews and the previous year’s recipient. Past winners include Valcon, media.monks, Picnic, CoolBlue, JustEat Takeaway, and Rituals.
Hajir Hajji, CEO of Action, says, “I’m incredibly proud to accept this award on behalf of Action. I dedicate it to our 80,000 colleagues, who put our customers first every single day and make sure they can rely on good, increasingly sustainable products at the lowest price. Thanks to their work, Action has earned a place in the hearts of more and more customers, and that’s why we’re receiving this growth award today. Thank you.”
Action’s growth strategy centres on expanding its range of non-food products and offering household items and other goods at low prices. The company continually adapts its product selection based on customer feedback and market demand, supporting steady expansion across Europe.
The Top 250 list highlights companies that achieve sustained workforce growth by responding effectively to consumer needs. The Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship defines high-growth firms as those maintaining an average annual FTE growth rate of at least 20 per cent over three years. The Golden Scaler Award is determined using both absolute and relative employee growth data.
Action’s recognition also mirrors broader market trends. The Wholesale and Retail Trade sector has nearly doubled its representation in the 2025 Top 250 compared to 2024, signalling renewed momentum among consumer-focused companies.
Older firms drive growth in the 2025 Top 250
The Top 2025 of 250 report shows that business growth does not need to start early or follow a fixed timeline. The average company age on the list has risen to 33.4 years, double that of 2024, indicating that many firms achieve success after years of gradual development.
Professor Justin Jansen notes that sustained growth in the Netherlands is now driven by firms that have established and refined their operations over time, rather than by newly formed companies seeking quick success.
Only 5 per cent of the Top 250 companies were founded within the last five years, while over one-fifth have been in operation for more than fifty years. Action, founded in 1993, ranks first, followed by ElastIQ-Connect from 2018 in second place and Dexter Energy from 2017 in third.
Paebbl, AMCO Solutions, DataSnipper recognised in 2025 Scaler Awards
The Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship has announced the winners of the 2025 Impact Scaler, Young Scaler, and Woman-led Scaler Awards. These awards recognise companies that combine strong business growth with societal contribution and sustainable practices.
An expert jury selected the winners. The members included Carol Tarr, co-founder and Partner at Non-Extractive Capital; Ellen van Schoten, Vice President of Erasmus University Rotterdam; Investor and Entrepreneur David van Dijk; Ruben Brave, Entrepreneur, Investor and Chair of Dutch New Narrative Lab and Internet Society Netherlands; and Jon Meijer, Corporate Director of Urban Development at the Municipality of Rotterdam.
Paebbl received the Impact Scaler Award for its work in converting CO2 into solid materials. The award was presented by Guido Geerts, CEO and founder of Delft Imaging and last year’s winner, to Paebbl co-founder and co-CEO Andreas Saari.
AMCO Solutions earned the Young Scaler Award for its growth since being founded in 2021. CEO Pascal Walk accepted the award from Paul van Merrienboer, CEO of Check Technologies and the 2024 winner.
DataSnipper received the Woman-led Scaler Award for its role in developing automation software for audit and finance teams. The award was presented by Sonja Meijerink, last year’s recipient and Golden Scaler winner, alongside Vice Mayor Tim Versnel.
The 2025 Top 250 Awards Ceremony took place at the Nieuwe Luxor Theatre in Rotterdam. The event was organised in collaboration with nlgroeit and supported by the City of Rotterdam. Vice Mayor Tim Versnel welcomed attendees and, together with former winner Sonja Meijerink, presented the Woman-led Scaler Award.
Brief about Top 250
The Top 250 is a yearly study by the Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship in collaboration with Professor Justin Jansen. It includes an Insights Report and an Awards Ceremony that brings together leaders from the fastest-growing companies in the Netherlands.
The report presents data and trends on these firms, analysing factors such as company size, age, location, founders, and sustainability work. The study uses information from surveys and data sources, including Dealroom and Gain.Pro.
To qualify, companies must be based in the Netherlands and meet OECD standards for high-growth firms. Growth is measured by changes in FTEs, and award nominees for Golden Scaler, Young Scaler, Impact Scaler and Woman-led Scaler awards are chosen based on both relative and total workforce growth.
Information on sustainability is gathered from company ESG reports and online resources that describe their work on environmental and social goals.