Germany’s second largest supermarket chain Rewe Group has revealed it is once again investing around €1.6 bn in the expansion and modernisation of its store network, with around €1 bn being allocated to Germany.
‘We will maintain our high rate of expansion and our drive for innovation,’ said Stephan Koof, head of retail expansion in Germany. ‘Rewe Group is probably the only company in the market that can successfully operate different concepts with areas of 100 m2 such as Rewe to Go, through supermarkets and Penny stores to 5,000 m2 Rewe Centers.’
The trade group is also broadening its choice of locations as it looks to steal a march on its competitors, Koof added. ‘Our new concepts intend to combine the shopping experience with living.
Rewe Group is particularly flexible when it comes to multifamily residences, which are increasingly in demand, especially in densely populated metropolitan areas. The combination of residential and food retail sector is no longer mutually exclusive, representing great opportunities both in terms of urban development and the current housing shortage, but also challenges.’
Rewe is already operating Rewe supermarkets and penny stores in inner city areas, Koof said, where ground level stores permit the stacking of residential units on top of retail spaces.
‘More and more customers appreciate and want the option of walking to the shops or doing their shopping on their way back home from the playground,’ he concluded.
