Leesch, whose parents were grocers, was born on 3 July 1929 and after graduating from high school went to work for wholesalers in Brussels. He returned to Luxembourg in 1951 to open a wholesale business with his brother, Ady.

In 1957, Leesch opened his first shop under the name Picnic in Esch-sur-Alzette. At the time, there were around 2,200 small grocery stores as well as butchers, bakers and other businesses serving Luxembourg customers.

Ten years on, Leesch opened the first Cactus supermarket in the country, inspired by US and Swiss concepts. In 1972, the first shopping centre opened in Esch/Lallange and two years later, construction on the Belle Etoile began.

Expansion continued during the 1980s up until the 2000s, with logistics, marketing and other departments added over the years.

In 2001, after nearly 50 years at the helm of the group, Paul Leesch retired. His son, Max Leesch, took over the reins as chairman and chief executive together with managing director Laurent Schonckert.

Cactus today counts 62 outlets and 4,400 staff. And the third generation of the family business--Paul Leesch’s grandchildren--are already involved in supporting their parents manage the firm, the group said in a statement.