One national winner and four stores among the top 3 in their respective categories: that is REWE's impressive haul at the "Supermarket of the Year 2025" industry awards.
Welcome to the family: the team from REWE Stenten, winner in the independent retail over 2,000 square metres category, framed by well-wishers.
When the presenter duo announced the winning store in the "Independent over 2,000 square metres" category on stage at the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen, the REWE Stenten team was overjoyed. With their still young store in Aachen, the merchant family won the coveted "Supermarket of the Year 2025" award
"We are delighted to receive this award," said salesman Max Stenten. "But this award actually belongs to everyone - our great team and the people in the Frankenberger Viertel, without whose trust, ideas and enthusiasm this store would not be what it is today." REWE Stenten in the Frankenberger Viertel, a district of the imperial city of Aachen that is popular with young people, is a typical neighbourhood store. Opened in autumn 2022, it has since significantly exceeded expectations. Max Stenten soon had to expand his team. Incidentally, new employees are not welcomed into the team, but into the family - another example of the close bond. With this award, the jury honoured a store that impresses with an extraordinary concept, regionality in practice, great customer proximity and a lot of warmth.
Tradition and modernity in the neighbourhood
A central element of success: the consistent focus on regionality. Around 30 suppliers from the neighbourhood supply the store with fresh products. REWE Stenten also sets standards in terms of Sustainability. The entire store is powered by green electricity, refrigeration systems work in a climate-friendly way with CO₂, and the company is actively working against food waste. Digital innovations such as the "Polarlight" light guidance system for impulse buys or a dedicated application tool for junior staff demonstrate this: Tradition and the future go hand in hand here.
The foundation of this success is the team. 85 employees who not only provide friendly advice, but also actively help to shape the company. Many of them have been with us for years. New colleagues are welcomed with a well thought-out onboarding programme, trainees are encouraged and further training is a top priority.
In short: REWE Stenten is much more than a supply centre. It is a meeting place, a neighbour, part of everyday life.
In total, the store managers and retailers from five REWE stores took to the stage at the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen on Thursday evening. In addition to the Stentens, the Zizek family with their REWE store in Wiesbaden-Erbenheim, the REWE Centre in Jena, the REWE store in Deggendorf and the REWE store in Aidenbachstraße in Munich made it to the final in the various competition categories. The two Bavarian stores, for example, entered the race for the coveted trophy in the category "Chain stores up to 3,000 square metres".
The winning stores impressed a high-calibre jury of experts with their creativity and surprising ideas, quality awareness, customer proximity - as well as outstanding revenue and consistently strong service counters. The jury consisted of experts and senior managers from the food industry as well as top decision-makers from Germany's largest retail companies, including our CEO Lionel Souque.
On Thursday, 22 May, Lebensmittelpraxis also named "Employee of the Year" in the food retail sector. In this competition, Swetlana Horn from the REWE store in Gersfeld, Dominik Ledea from REWE Tacheles, Paula Schima from the REWE Centre in Egelsbach and Matthias Weber from the REWE store in Schöllnach made it into the nation's top 10 - another great success, because "it's quite an achievement to be nominated," said presenter Bettina Röttig, trying to alleviate the disappointment here and there at missing out on first place (usually only just).
Market Manager Dominik Fisch (with certificate) in conversation with LP Editor-in-Chief Hendrik Varnholt.
Thanks to eight schools in the neighbourhood, to-go products such as delicacies from the hot bar, fresh salads from the salad bar and fruit snacks - all produced in-house - are very popular. Every day, 200 Leberkas rolls alone are sold at the counter. An eight-metre-long shelf with international delicacies and themed weeks appeal to customers from all over the world. Another popular feature is the pick-up service.
Also among the top three: Milan Ristic from the REWE supermarket in Munich's Aidenbachstraße. I Photo: Peter Eilers/Lebensmittelpraxis
Need a quick hot meal? In the well-stocked and clearly laid out market, the hot bar in the "Deli am Markt" is a talking point. Like the salad bar, it is a self-service station. Here, customers can fill up on a daily changing lunch dish and pay by weight.
If that's not a reason to celebrate: The lively team from the REWE Centre in Jena made it into the top 3 in the country.
The Rewe centre is characterised by the variety of its own production - "our snipping kitchen", as store manager Steffen Kaerst says. The deli, which opened two years ago and is stocked with its own products, is very popular. The market attaches great importance to regional products - the proportion is six per cent. One highlight is the smoker - freshly smoked trout is served every Thursday.
The Zizek family and their employees, who had travelled to Essen from Wiesbaden, were also delighted.
The first REWE Green Building of the new generation with basil cultivation on the roof and a fish farm in the basement has been attracting trade visitors and international customers to Wiesbaden-Erbenheim since its opening. REWE merchant Stefan Zizek is constantly optimising the product ranges in order to be able to present the best assortment on the 1,200 square metres of sales space, also for the customers of the nearby US airbase, who have affectionately christened their favourite store "Gucci"-REWE.
