Growing importance of on-the-go and out-of-home consumption
Cologne/Frechen. REWE Group and Lekkerland Group want to create a new strategic business unit “Convenience” within REWE Group through a merger of the two companies. To this end, REWE Group acquires Lekkerland Group by taking over 100% of shares in Lekkerland AG & Co. KG. The news was announced today by the CEO of REWE Group, Lionel Souque, and the CEO of Lekkerland AG & Co. KG, Patrick Steppe. The planned merger of the companies is subject to clearance by the anti-trust authorities.
On-the-go consumption is one of the areas offering the most promising growth prospects in food retail. REWE’s expertise in the goods and category management business areas and Lekkerland’s logistical performance capability and varied wholesale expertise complement each other ideally. Wholesale customers and end consumers will benefit equally from the combined strengths of REWE Group and Lekkerland Group.
Lionel Souque, CEO of REWE Group, explained: “On-the-go and out-of-home consumption are among the strongest trends in our sector, and their importance is set to grow further. And it is not just young people who increasingly buy and consume meals and snacks on-the-go. For this reason, we have steadily expanded our convenience ranges in recent years and improved their quality. The combination of this and Lekkerland’s specialised logistics and extensive wholesale and convenience expertise is a convincing recipe for future success in an important segment of the food retail market. This applies here in Germany just as much as in other European countries where Lekkerland does business. We are very much looking forward to the future cooperation with our new colleagues and extend a cordial welcome to them.”
Patrick Steppe, CEO of Lekkerland AG & Co. KG, stated: “The activities and skill sets of REWE and Lekkerland are highly complementary and open up new perspectives for both partners. We as a wholesaler and REWE with its goods and retail expertise have over 150 years of experience combined. Not least because of our respective corporate values, we think and do business similarly, even though at different levels of the selling process. Our customers and the end consumers stand to benefit from attractive shopping experiences and services in on-the-go consumption.”
REWE Group and Lekkerland have agreed not to disclose the contractual details of the merger.
About REWE Group
The cooperatively organized REWE Group is one of the leading trade and tourism groups in Germany and Europe. In 2018, the company generated a total external turnover of around 61 billion euros. Founded in 1927, REWE Group operates with 360,000 employees in 22 European countries.
The sales lines include REWE, REWE CENTER and BILLA as well as MERKUR supermarkets and consumer stores, the discounter PENNY and the toom Baumarkt DIY stores. The company also operates convenience stores (REWE To Go) and the e-commerce activities REWE Lieferservice, Zooroyal, Weinfreunde and Kölner Weinkeller. Travel and tourism under the umbrella of DER Touristik Group includes the tour operators ITS, Jahn Reisen, Dertour, Meiers Weltreisen, ADAC Reisen, Kuoni, Helvetic Tours, Apollo und Exim Tours and more than 2,400 travel agencies (e.g. DER Reisebüro, DERPART and cooperation partners), the hotel chains lti, Club Calimera, Cooee, PrimaSol and Playitas Resort and the direct tour operator clevertours.com.
About Lekkerland AG & Co. KG
We are the specialist for on-the-go consumption.
Lekkerland is the specialist for on-the-go consumption and offers innovative services, tailor-made logistics and a broadly-based wholesale product range in seven European countries. The focus is on the needs of our customers and consumers. Our vision is to be "Your most convenient partner" for our customers – the best partner they have. Lekkerland services around 91,000 points of sale in seven European countries and its assortment features the latest brands and own-label products. Our customers include service stations, kiosks, convenience stores, bakeries, food retailers and quick service restaurants. Lekkerland employs around 4,900 people across Europe. It turned over 12,4 billion euros in the 2018 financial year.
