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Reliable, crisis-proof, fair
Co-operatives are highly trusted - but many people hardly know them

Our latest survey shows: Fairness, stability and the common good are strongly associated with the co-operative model - more than with any other form of company. And yet over 60 % of people are barely aware of the principle - or that we at REWE Group are organised in this way. Time to realise the potential - and give the cooperative the stage it deserves.

In times of continuing uncertainty, many people are focussing on economic stability and social responsibility. A recent representative survey conducted by NIQ on behalf of REWE Group shows: Co-operatives are highly rated by Germans - especially when it comes to trust, crisis resilience and a focus on the common good.

To mark International Cooperatives Day on 6 July 2025, REWE Group is presenting the key results of the survey - with a clear message: the cooperative is an economic model with a future. And this despite the fact that many people still barely know how it actually works.

Trust in the crisis: co-operative in first place

In a time of multiple crises - from inflation and energy issues to social division - trust is a rare commodity. This makes the result all the more remarkable: no other type of company is trusted as much as the cooperative.

36% of respondents said they had a high level of trust in cooperatives - significantly more than in public limited companies (15.6%) or privately managed companies (22.5%).

And yet: over 60% of Germans have little or no knowledge of how a cooperative actually works. An educational mission - and huge potential.

REWE Group: a cooperative with history and attitude

REWE Group itself has been organised as a cooperative - since 1927. With around 380,000 employees, it is one of the largest retail and tourism companies in Europe. Under brands such as REWE, PENNY, toom Baumarkt DIY store and DERTOUR Group, it lives cooperative values such as partnership, regionality, reliability and fairness.

"Co-operatives are an economic model with a future - because they combine responsibility and economic success," says Lionel Souque, CEO of the REWE Group. "Our survey shows: Those who are familiar with the principle have a particularly high level of trust in cooperatives. This is both a confirmation and an incentive."

Economic form with a focus on the common good

For many, the cooperative is the economic form of the community of values:

  • 64 % of respondents associate it with an orientation towards the common good - no other type of company achieves this value.
  • Topics such as social responsibility (48%), fair treatment of employees (44%) and transparency (37.5%) are also strongly associated with cooperatives.
  • They are also well ahead of PLCs and private companies when it comes to Sustainability (38.7%).

Fair employer with crisis strength

The cooperative is rated particularly highly in its role as a secure and fair employer:

  • 34.6 % see it as a particularly reliable employer,
  • 33.1 % consider it to be crisis-proof,
  • and 40.1% consider them to be strongly rooted in the region - in eastern Germany even one in two.

These characteristics become real competitive advantages in times of crisis.

Young generation sees future in the cooperative

Younger people in particular have confidence in the cooperative:

  • 31% of 18 to 39-year-olds see them as a model with a future,
  • 40% of those under 29 believe that cooperatives are particularly good at using digitalisation to benefit people - far ahead of public limited companies and private companies.

And: the better people understand the model, the higher their trust: Among respondents with in-depth knowledge, it is over 72%.

2025: International Year of Co-operatives

The United Nations (UN) has declared 2025 the International Year of Co-operatives. Under the motto "Cooperatives build a better world", they are recognising the role of cooperatives as drivers of social, economic and environmental sustainability.

The results of the Gfk survey confirm this: Trust in co-operative business is more relevant than ever - and an opportunity that needs to be further expanded.

To the survey:

The survey was conducted in June 2025 by the market research company NIQ (Gfk) on behalf of REWE Group. Around 1,000 people aged 18 and over in Germany were surveyed. The aim was to analyse the trust and perception of various forms of company - in particular the cooperative.

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