Edeka increases gastronomy sales by 35 percent
Expansion of the foodservice sector at Edeka: The German Retail-Brand Edeka is intensifying its focus on the foodservice sector and achieved a turnover of around 390 million euros in gastronomy for the year 2023. This represents an increase of almost 35 percent compared to the previous year. For 2024, the retailer aims to surpass the 440-million-euro turnover mark.
We don’t have customers, but guests,” is the retailer’s slogan. Sven Oliver Neitzel, National Head of Gastronomy at Edeka, presented the company’s future strategy at the European Foodservice Summit in Amsterdam. He sees significant potential in the foodservice sector: “Over 50 percent of Germans no longer cook today, but of course these people still go shopping,” explained Neitzel.
Strategic advantages through retail gastronomy
In the approximately 6,700 Edeka stores, 95 percent of gastronomic sales are now generated in the pre-checkout area. Neitzel highlights the positive effects of expanding gastronomy: “We extend the guests’ stay in the store, become more profitable, can promote products from our market, and, not least, sharpen our overall food expertise.”
The Edeka slogan “We love food” is both an obligation and an incentive. “We should use it for our customers and not just sell to them,” Neitzel added. The average receipt currently stands at just under seven euros, with considerable room for growth.
Retail gastronomy in a European comparison
A look at other European countries reveals different approaches to retail gastronomy. Andrija Topic, Managing Director of Studenac Market in Croatia, discussed his company, which currently generates around 800 million euros in annual turnover across 1,300 locations. Unlike Edeka stores in Germany, which range from 600 to 12,000 square meters in size, Studenac focuses on small neighborhood shops averaging 100 square meters of retail space. “Sometimes there are even two of them on the same street,” said Topic.
Key elements of the Croatian concept include independent bakeries with ovens in each store and digitized self-checkout solutions. While the offerings primarily target the local population, tourism plays a significant role. With almost 20 percent of its gross domestic product stemming from tourism, tourists are a lucrative target group for Studenac. “During peak travel seasons, we complement our standard stores with a number of pop-up shops,” Topic explained.
