REWE Group Portrait

The cooperative REWE Group is an international group of trade and tourism companies. REWE (Revisionsverband der Westkaufgenossenschaften) was established in 1927 by 17 purchasing cooperatives. The REWE Group is proud of its cooperative roots. The Supervisory Board, shareholders, retailers and the Management Board of the REWE Group view the long-range cooperative structure as a guarantee of independence and self-determination. In 2007, this commitment was reaffirmed in the Travemünde Declaration. The headquarters of the REWE Group has been located in Cologne ever since the company was established in 1927.

REWE-ZENTRALFINANZ eG, Cologne, (RZF) and its subsidiaries jointly form the RZF Combine (hereinafter referred to “combine”) and the REWE Group, an international trade and tourism company, along with all cooperatively organised independent retailers (listed in the combine as associated companies at equity).

As of 31 December 2021, RZF comprised 287 Germany-based subsidiaries (previous year: 275) and 166 international subsidiaries (previous year: 171).

In 2021, the REWE Group did business in 21 European countries with about 380,000 employees (previous year: 384,000). Total external revenue rose to 76.5 billion euros in 2021 (previous year: 74.6 billion euros).

The combine’s business activities are broken down into six business segments, which are divided in turn into divisions and business units. The combine does business in the business segments described below with the following brands, amongst others:

The Trade Germany business segment comprises the divisions REWE, PENNY Germany and Trade Germany Central Businesses.

The REWE division is active in both retail and wholesale. A total of 1,655 supermarkets and consumer stores are operated under the brands REWE and REWE CENTER. In the wholesale business, a total of 2,722 REWE and REWE Dortmund retailers are supplied along with nahkauf stores and other major customers. REWE is also involved in online business activities via the REWE delivery service offered on REWE.de.

A total of 2,136 discount stores are operated under the PENNY sales brand in the PENNY Germany division.

The division known as Trade Germany Central Businesses includes the production and sale of baked goods under the Glocken Bäckerei brand name, the production of meat and sausage products under the Wilhelm Brandenburg brand name, domestic and international product companies, online retailing (ZooRoyal and Weinfreunde) and e-commerce services (REWE Digital). It also includes domestic real-estate companies.

The Trade International business segment comprises the divisions Full Product Range Austria, Full Product Range CEE and PENNY International. A total of 2,765 supermarket and consumer stores are operated by Full Product Range Austria and CEE. In Austria, stores are operated under the brands BILLA and ADEG. The wholesale business supplies 362 ADEG retailers. Trade International also operates its BILLA supermarket format in Bulgaria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Health and beauty shops are operated under the BIPA brand name in Croatia and Austria and supermarkets under the IKI brand name in Lithuania.

The PENNY International division operates the brands PENNY MARKT and PENNY MARKET at a total of 1,636 locations in Italy, Austria, Romania, the Czech Republic and Hungary.

The Convenience business segment comprises the divisions Convenience Germany, Convenience International and Convenience Central Businesses. In the divisions Convenience Germany, to which the 16 REWE To Go shops are assigned, and Convenience International, enjoyable on-the-go products are supplied to petrol station shops, department stores, food and beverage shops, fast-food chains, kiosks, canteens, bakeries and other providers. More than 74,500 sales locations are supplied. The Convenience business segment operates in Germany and the Netherlands under the name Lekkerland and in Belgium and Spain under the name Conway. The division Convenience Central Businesses comprises central and IT services.

Tourism is the second core business of the REWE Group. This activity is conducted under the umbrella of the DER Touristik Group, one of Europe’s leading travel companies. The DER Touristik Group comprises more than 130 companies. It employs 9,400 people in 16 European countries. Each year, millions of guests take trips arranged by one of its tour operators or specialists. The DER Touristik Group includes the tour operators DERTOUR, Jahn Reisen, ITS, Meiers Weltreisen, Travelix, Kuoni, Helvetic Tours, ITS Coop Travel, Billa Reisen, Koning Aap, Apollo, Exim Tours and Fischer; more than 2,300 travel agencies (including DERTOUR, DERPART, Kuoni, Exim, Fischer as well as franchise and cooperation partners); the hotel brands Sentido, Aldiana, Calimera and Cooee; as well as the online travel portal Prijsvrij Vakanties. DER Touristik Group also offers on-site support to its guests: With 74 offices, the group’s agency network is present in 29 destination countries. The employees of the destination agencies support the guests of the DER Touristik Group from the time they arrive until the time they depart a holiday location.

The DIY Stores business segment operates 279 stores in Germany under the brands toom Baumarkt and B1 Discount Baumarkt. As part of its wholesale business, it also supplies 37 retailers and franchisees.

The Other business segment comprises central services of the parent company and various subsidiaries for combine companies and third parties. These primarily involve procurement functions (product wholesale and warehousing), central settlement, del credere-assumptions, IT services, energy trading and combine financing and coordination of combine-wide advertising activities.