The next generation of the Röckenschuß family has mastered the balancing act between tradition and modernity. Here, REWE salesman Korbinian Röckenschuß reveals why he prefers retail to catering and how he balances his job & family.
Munich, an early morning. Anyone who accompanies Korbinian Röckenschuß on the way to his REWE store immediately realises what drives him: Proximity to people, love of the city - and the joy of a business that he sees as a stage. A smile flits across his face as he drives past the construction work for the Oktoberfest. "I look forward to the Oktoberfest like a little kid every year," he says. For him, it's more than just a folk festival - it's a yearning. Because while his uncle was a restaurateur, Korbinian himself always dreamed of being a Wiesn host one day.
Roots in Unterbrunn
The Röckenschuß family come from Unterbrunn, a small town south of Munich. His great-grandfather ran a grocer's shop there, which is now run as a café by Korbinian's mother. A black and white photo hangs on the escalator in the market: his grandfather as a boy in front of the shop. "When I walk past it, I can see where I come from," says Röckenschuß. Tradition as a foundation, modernity as a daily task.
From hotel to business school
He was drawn to the catering industry at an early age. He trained at the Kempinski, worked as a waiter at the Wiesn and realised that this is where life pulsates, where there is a stage and responsibility. But the irregular working hours and the thought of having a family made him rethink. "I wanted to organise things myself, but also live a predictable life." So he switched to a business administration degree, which gave him the basics of business administration.
Through his positions as an area manager at Norma and as a store manager at REWE, he learnt about retail from the ground up. "The great thing was that I was able to try out a lot and always had people who encouraged me." The support from REWE itself was particularly important to him. "You only realise how valuable the cooperative is when you go down this path yourself. I learnt that you don't have to do everything on your own - the advice, experience and support from colleagues and area managers were worth their weight in gold."
„There are days when I see the same customer ten times. Once he buys a water, then a sandwich, then cigarettes.“ Korbinian Röckenschuß
Korbinian Röckenschuß ©Christoph Vohler
The leap into self-employment
the big step came in 2019: his own REWE in Munich city centre. A project close to Röckenschuß's heart - even if the start-up phase was tough. "I thought too much about it. It didn't go so well at the beginning. But at some point I learnt to be patient."
Then came corona - and perhaps the most difficult test. While supermarkets in residential areas achieved record sales, his city centre market, with its structure heavily dependent on walk-in customers, suffered massively. "That was brutal. We didn't have a neighbourhood to fill our shop. Our customers are tourists, students, people from the doctors' surgeries or the neighbouring shops - and they suddenly stayed away." But he persevered, made adjustments and adapted the product range. Today, the market is stable and has earned its place in the city centre.
A store in the heart of the city centre
His REWE is not a typical local supermarket. He lives from walk-in customers, from the brief encounters and regular customers who greet him on the street. "There are days when I see the same customer ten times. Once he buys a water, then a sandwich, then cigarettes."
Lunchtime is a busy time. The customers have salad boxes or baked goods in their hands, the self-service tills are buzzing and the queue quickly disappears. Röckenschuß smiles: "That's the beauty and the effort - you're never finished." He is constantly adding rows of shelves, looking for more stock, even though there is barely enough space. "If I could, I would break through the wall immediately and add 100 square metres." Instead, he optimises the details, does the maths and makes adjustments.
„You only realise how valuable the cooperative is when you go down this path yourself. I learnt that you don't have to do everything on your own - advice, experience and the support of colleagues and area managers were worth their weight in gold.“ Korbinian Röckenschuß
Korbinian Röckenschuß ©Christoph Vohler
Advice to new retailers
When asked what he would like to pass on to young retailers, he answers emphatically: "You don't need to be afraid. Customers, employees, goods - they already know that from their everyday lives. The rest comes naturally. The important thing is that you're not too shy to simply ask. If I'm stuck, I call my colleagues - or the area manager. Pragmatism helps more than perfectionism." His recipe: composure, patience and networking. "We are retailers, not lone wolves. You don't have to be able to do everything on your own."
Family as a counterbalance
As demanding as the market is, his priorities are clear. "Work is never boring, but I also want to remain a family man." That's why he often drives home around 4 p.m., picks up his son Korbinian - the fifth generation to bear his name - from football and looks forward to his daughter Johanna, whose name his wife was allowed to choose. "I want the children to experience me now. When they're 14, they might say: Dad, leave me alone anyway." His wife supports him with the office work in the background from home. And the first stop in the morning at just after five o'clock is still his mum's café - back to his roots.
Looking ahead
At 38 years old, he still has a long way to go. "Perhaps a second store will be added at some point, more rural, with more space. But it has to fit - and make economic sense." He still enjoys the city, the challenge, the daily race to find the best solution. And while customers continue to stream through the aisles, the salad bowls clatter and the tills beep, Korbinian Röckenschuß seems content. Businessman, family man, city dweller - and someone who knows that tradition and the future can come together perfectly in a market.
