Our market teams returned from Baden-Baden with a national prize, a special prize and several state prizes. Their fruit and vegetable departments are among the best in the country.
Around 130 invited guests of honour - including prominent figures from the food industry and the German food trade - gathered at the Kurhaus in Baden-Baden on Tuesday (5 May) to select the winners of the German Fruit Prize 2026. In the hypermarket category, the REWE Centre Egelsbach took the national victory in the Central Region. REWE merchant Sascha Eißmann from Alsdorf received a special prize for the family-friendly concept of his fruit and vegetable department.
Spectacular presentation of high-quality goods in top condition, which extends the time spent at the PoS and convinces customers: the jury honoured such fruit and vegetable departments at the German Fruit Prize. The winning stores scored points with their imaginative group placements, product-related information in the department, tastings - and, last but not least, convincing figures.
Great success with partial service for fruit and vegetables: the team from the REWE Centre Egelsbach secured the coveted trophy in the hypermarket category. Photo: ©Rundschau/M. Gregonowits
The jury praised how the introduction of partial service on Saturdays has led to a significant increase in sales at the REWE Centre Egelsbach. The mushroom range has been expanded and sales are meticulously documented in order to control orders and avoid food waste.
What the experts on the jury liked about the speciality department in Sascha Eißmann's REWE-Marktplatz store was that the special features of the department were retained even after the redesign: the play corner for children. It is designed with various themes such as "home" or "travelling the world" and is popular with both young and old customers.
REWE was also well represented among the nine state winners. The winners were
- Hesse: REWE-Marktplatz tram depot in Frankfurt-Bornheim.
- Thuringia: REWE Antje Eismann in Jena.
- Hamburg: REWE-Markt Markt Stellinger Höfe in Hamburg.
- Lower Saxony: REWE Centre Braunschweig Berliner Straße 53 in Braunschweig.
- North Rhine-Westphalia: REWE Max Stenten, Bismarckstraße in Aachen.
- Brandenburg: REWE-Marktplatz Christopher Titze in Schwielowsee, OT Geltow.
According to the judges, all of the stores invite customers to linger in their cosy atmosphere and encourage them to make impulse purchases. As is customary for this traditional industry award, the jury made unannounced store visits to assess the product range, presentation and PoS marketing, advice and customer service, cleanliness and hygiene, inventiveness and creativity as well as the sales performance of the applicant stores.
Proud of their young star Asya Yozgat: the fruit and vegetable experts from the REWE-Marktplatz in the tram depot in Frankfurt. Photo: ©Rundschau/M. Gregonowits
And there was another winner to celebrate: Asya Yozgat from the REWE-Marktplatz in Frankfurt's tram depot is the winner of the "Fruit+Vegetable YoungStar". She was honoured as a young talent for her exceptional commitment to the product group.
The trade magazine Rundschau für den Lebensmittelhandel organises the industry award together with Fruchthandelmagazin. This year, the high-calibre jury of experts honoured a total of 15 stores. The six national and eight state winners in the fruit & vegetable departments were assessed on the basis of an extensive catalogue of criteria and in unannounced store checks.
Rundschau für den Lebensmittelhandel has been organising the German Fruit Prize together with Fruchthandelmagazin for 29 years. Every year, the industry competition honours Germany's best fruit and vegetable departments. The prize honours concepts and teams that use creative marketing strategies to sustainably revitalise the entire category and increase the added value of fruit and vegetables in contrast to discounting concepts.
