REWE opened its first purely plant-based supermarket in Berlin yesterday. The “REWE voll pflanzlich” supermarket on Warschauer Brücke in the Friedrichshain district offers more than 2,700 vegan products. In addition to more than 3,800 stores in which the food retailer offers everything from organic vegetables to cheese and meat, this marks the company’s first vegan store.
Peter Maly, CEO of REWE Group, sees the plant-based supermarket as an important test: “With REWE voll pflanzlich, we are showing how varied and large the selection of vegan products is. In the past, we have been recognised several times as a vegan pioneer in the food trade, and we are also encouraged by the strong response from our customers.”
In standard REWE stores, the range includes up to 1,400 vegan items and has grown considerably in recent years. Milk alternatives and fresh convenience products have proved to be particularly popular. Maly says: “There are twice as many products in our plant-based supermarket as in the usual REWE range. First and foremost, we are hoping for learning effects for our traditional supermarkets. Here at Warschauer Brücke in Berlin-Friedrichshain, we have the opportunity to pave the way for even more new products and brands to reach the supermarket shelves. We are very excited!”
“Here, we have the opportunity to pave the way for even more new products and brands”
Berlin’s Mayor and Senator for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, Franziska Giffey, said at the opening: “Berlin is the right place for innovation, and that also applies to new concepts in retail. With an entire store offering purely plant-based products, REWE is demonstrating how wide the variety of diets is now and can test the demand among customers in Berlin. After all, people’s shopping behaviour is changing and we are living and eating much more consciously today. This is also reflected on the shelves of our stores in a range that is becoming ever broader and caters to people’s different needs. I wish the store and its employees every success and good luck.”
With its 212 square metres of sales space, the REWE voll pflanzlich in Berlin is compact with a clear layout. The range of plant-based food and drugstore products is all the larger: there is space for over 2,700 items from around 300 brands. The own brands REWE Bio + vegan, REWE Bio, REWE Beste Wahl and Vivess are prominently represented. These include the food retailer’s most successful plant-based products such as the oat drink, smoked tofu and falafel balls from REWE Bio + vegan.
There are well-known brands such as Rügenwalder, Oatly, and Alpro, as well as young companies such as Not Guilty with its certified organic sweets, for foodies with dips and sauces and Greenforce with vegan Leberkäse and Köttbullar. Products from BioVegan are exclusively available – from baking mixes to dressings and pasta toppings. For the first time at REWE, there is vegan eggnog from the Berlin spirits manufacturer Mampe. Another speciality is the ice cream machine, which customers can use to make plant-based soft ice cream.
“We are a real supermarket, only purely plant-based”
“If you’re looking for a snack on the go or simply want to try something new, you’ve come to the right place. We also have everything you need for your weekly shop,” says Dennis Henkelmann, who runs the market. “Our range is colourful, with everything from vegan burger sauce, ramen and wines to various snacks. We are a real supermarket, only purely plant-based.” The self-employed businessman relies on a team of 12 employees at REWE voll pflanzlich. They have all been specially trained in the plant-based range so that they can provide customers with the best possible advice.
“The supermarket is in the immediate vicinity of the S-Bahn, and there are lots of flats and offices around it. That’s why we deliberately focus on a wide range of baked goods. We have more than 40 products, from vegan Franzbrötchen and Laugenbagel to Sunday rolls,” says Dennis Henkelmann.
At REWE voll pflanzlich, there are three self-checkout counters where customers scan their purchases themselves. Thanks to “Scan&Go”, they can scan their groceries as they walk along the shelves using a hand scanner or smartphone and place them in their shopping trolley.
Stefan Hörning, CEO of REWE Ost, says: “The ‘REWE voll pflanzlich’ is an eye-catcher. Lively, eye-catching, natural – these are the keywords that drove us. We have special products, including lots of fresh produce. You can try out new things here, many of the products in our range are organic. Here, young companies with new ideas have the chance to get one of the coveted places on the supermarket shelf.”
Further information: rewe-vollpflanzlich.de
