How to Get Your Product on German Shelves (And Keep It There)

Picture this: You’ve built an amazing consumer product, validated it with early customers, and now you’re eyeing Germany, Europe’s largest grocery market at €200+ billion annually. The prize? Getting your product in front of 83 million German consumers. The challenge? Navigating one of the world’s most complex retail landscapes without losing your sanity (or your startup).

If you’ve ever wondered why some promising CPG brands disappear from shelves after a few months while others become permanent fixtures, this guide is for you. We’ll walk through the real-world mechanics of German retail listings, based on hard-won insights from REWE’s Lorena Friedhoff, Oyster Bay’s Felix Leonhardt, and founders like Katharina Trebitsch (nevernot), Sarina Morawiak (ratzfatz), and Ben Unterkofler (share) who gathered at our recent Hacking Retail event in Berlin.

Why German Retail Is Different (And Why That Matters)

Germany’s retail market isn’t just big, it’s uniquely structured in ways that can make or break your listing strategy. Unlike markets where a single “yes” from headquarters guarantees nationwide distribution, Germany operates on a hybrid model that’s part centralized efficiency, part medieval guild system.

Take EDEKA, with its 11,000 stores. Securing a national agreement might feel like winning the lottery, but here’s the catch: independent merchants and regional offices still hold significant power over what actually makes it to their shelves. You could have a signed contract and still find your product missing from half the stores you expected.

This isn’t a bug, it’s a feature. German retail evolved this way because local market knowledge matters. A protein bar that flies off shelves in health-conscious Munich might collect dust in industrial Dortmund. Smart retailers have learned to balance central buying power with local flexibility.

The Big Players You Need to Know:

• EDEKA (~11,000 stores): The giant with significant regional autonomy
• REWE Group (~3,700 stores): Similar to EDEKA in its hybrid approach
• Schwarz Group — Kaufland (~750 stores) & Lidl (~3,200 stores): More centralized, efficiency-focused
• Aldi Nord & Süd (~4,200 stores combined): The ultimate efficiency machines
• Drugstore trio: dm (~2,100), Rossmann (~2,300), Müller (~600), increasingly crucial for beauty, health, and personal care

The Three Pathways to German Shelves

Understanding your route to market is crucial because each path requires different strategies, timelines, and relationship-building approaches:

1. National Listing: The Holy Grail

This is the dream scenario: one deal, thousands of stores. But it’s also the hardest to achieve without bulletproof market validation. Retailers want to see consistent performance data, ideally from multiple channels or regions, before committing to a nationwide rollout.

2. Regional Listing: Your Strategic Entry Point

Germany has six REWE regions, each operating somewhat independently. Starting regionally lets you prove performance, learn the system, and build relationships before scaling. It’s often the fastest path to meaningful distribution.

3. Merchant-by-Merchant: The Relationship Game

This involves courting individual store owners, particularly relevant for EDEKA and REWE (where ~60% of stores are run by independent merchants). It’s time-intensive but can be highly effective for products with strong local appeal or when you need to demonstrate market fit before approaching regional buyers.

The Make-or-Break Framework: Your 5 Ps

After analyzing dozens of successful (and failed) German market entries, five critical factors consistently determine outcomes:

Product: Beyond “Great” to “Proven”

German retailers don’t gamble on potential, they bet on performance. You need concrete evidence: sales velocity from other channels, clear consumer benefit that’s immediately obvious, and data showing repeat purchase behavior. “Our product is amazing” doesn’t cut it; “Our product turns 3.2x per month with 40% repeat customers” does.

Price: The Margin Reality Check

German consumers are price-sensitive, but retailers are margin-obsessed. The magic number? 40%+ gross margin for retailers. If you can’t hit this while remaining competitively priced, you’ll struggle regardless of product quality. Factor in promotional support, listing fees, and potential markdown risks when calculating your pricing strategy.

Promotion: Marketing From Day One

Shelf space without marketing support is just expensive storage. German retailers expect comprehensive launch support: sampling campaigns, in-store displays, digital marketing, and often co-investment in promotional activities. Budget 20-30% of your first-year revenue projections for promotional support.

Place: Strategic Channel Selection

Not all retailers are created equal for your specific product. A premium organic snack might thrive in Alnatura but struggle in Lidl. A mainstream household product could find success in drugstore chains like dm but face brutal competition in traditional grocery. Map your product characteristics to retailer positioning before making your pitch.

People: The Hidden Success Factor

Here’s what most founders underestimate: German retail decisions involve multiple stakeholders with different priorities. At REWE/EDEKA, you might need buy-in from merchants, regional category managers, and central buyers. Each has different metrics, incentives, and decision-making authority. This is where field sales agencies and freelance representatives can be valuable. They know who actually makes decisions and how to navigate internal politics.

Timeline Reality: Patience as a Strategic Asset

Let’s address the elephant in the room: German retail moves slowly. From first contact to full rollout, expect 12-24 months. This isn’t inefficiency, it’s risk management in a low-margin business where mistakes are expensive.

Typical Timeline Breakdown:

• Initial discussions and relationship building: 2-4 months
• Product evaluation and internal approvals: 3-6 months
• Test phase (if applicable): 3-6 months
• Full rollout negotiation and implementation: 4-8 months

Build this reality into your business plan and investor communications. The founders who succeed in Germany are those who view listing as a marathon, not a sprint.

Your Starting Points: Where to Begin Tomorrow

REWE: Test Before You Scale

• REWE Startup Lounge: ~30 test stores in Region Süd, 3-month trials
• REWE Test Markets: ~40 stores across 3 regions plus online pilots
• Contact regional category management directly

EDEKA: The Digital Gateway

• EDEKA StartHub: Your central platform to reach merchants nationwide
• Free registration, upgrade to Seller Plan (€299 + 3% sales fee)
• Direct path to upload products, documentation, and pricing
• Contact: info@starthub.edeka

Drugstore Chains: The Underestimated Opportunity

• dm: Centralized buying with strong sustainability focus—ideal for natural cosmetics and wellness
• Rossmann: Mix of national and regional decisions, promotional powerhouse
• Müller: More flexible local decisions, especially receptive to regional products

Field Sales Agencies: Your Secret Weapon

Professional agencies with established retailer relationships can accelerate your timeline and success rate. They understand the internal dynamics, speak the language, and often have direct access to decision-makers that would take you months to reach independently.

Concrete Starting Points:

• OOHA: Specialized food and beverage representation
• Organic Friends: Focus on organic and natural products
• fieldforce+: Comprehensive FMCG coverage
• Haake & Friedel: Established network across retail channels

The Bottom Line: Preparation Meets Opportunity

German retail rewards preparation, patience, and strategic thinking. The brands that succeed understand this isn’t just about having a great product, it’s about having the right product, for the right retailer, with the right support, at the right time, presented by people who understand the system.

Start building relationships before you need them. Attend trade fairs, join startup programs, and invest in understanding not just what German retailers want, but how they make decisions. Because in German retail, it’s not just what you know, it’s who you know, and more importantly, who knows you can deliver.

The German market is challenging, but for CPG founders who approach it strategically, it offers something rare: a stable, large-scale platform where success compounds over time. The question isn’t whether you can afford to enter the German market, it’s whether you can afford not to.