The Bundeskartellamt has granted approval for REWE's planned acquisition of 38 tegut supermarkets, contingent upon certain commitments. REWE has agreed to refrain from acquiring two additional tegut locations in Marburg and Schlüchtern for four years, alleviating competitive concerns in three local markets.

Andreas Mundt, President of the Bundeskartellamt, emphasized that without these commitments, the merger would have significantly hindered effective competition in the affected regions. The majority of the acquisition has been approved, ensuring that consumer conditions remain favorable.

Initially, REWE sought to acquire 40 tegut supermarkets and two properties. The Bundeskartellamt has been reviewing the proposal since April 2026 and provided a preliminary competitive assessment to the parties involved by the end of August.

The authority's investigation focused on the impact of the merger on competition among retailers and suppliers. It found that the acquisition would have substantially impaired competition in three local markets in Hesse. The commitments made by REWE will mitigate these concerns.

The authority also examined the effects on procurement markets, where REWE is a leading player. The increase in REWE's share of the national procurement volume is below 0.2 percentage points, which is less than in the EDEKA/tegut case, indicating no significant hindrance to competition in procurement markets.

The investigation confirmed the high concentration in the German grocery retail sector, with the top four companies—EDEKA, REWE, Schwarz Group (Lidl and Kaufland), and ALDI—accounting for over 90% of national sales. However, competition among these major retailers remains robust.

The tegut group operates around 300 supermarkets and automated small-format stores. The Swiss cooperative Migros Zürich, the previous owner, announced its exit from the German market in March 2026, leading to the sale of tegut. The Bundeskartellamt has previously approved acquisitions of tegut locations by other companies, including EDEKA.

The decision regarding the future of the remaining tegut locations will be made by the involved companies, and the Bundeskartellamt's decisions do not dictate who will operate these sites in the future.

A list of the 38 approved tegut locations and the two excluded sites is attached to the press release. The decision is not yet final, as appeals can be lodged with the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court.