A few weeks ago, Markus Stubauer demonstrated how tradition and innovation can complement each other in the best sense of the word. The ADEG merchant opened a self-service shop in his home town to complement his 125-year-old flagship shop.
Shopping while the food retailers are closed is no longer a contradiction in Maria Neustift. Markus Stubauer opened the first ADEG self-service store in Austria in the community of 1,600 residents. 
Connected to the main market. yet autonomous: the new self-service shop.
The 38 square metre stand-alone store, which is connected to his 220 square metre local convenience store, is open during lunch breaks, two hours after closing time and on Sundays and public holidays via a separate entrance. The fact that the opening hours are not longer is due to legislation. In Austria, shops are allowed to be open for a maximum of 72 hours a week. "In my case, the times for both shops are added together: for the self-service shop and the ADEG store," explains owner and operator Markus Stubauer.
Customer response is very good
Either way, the new self-service market offers residents and Travel and Tourism travellers the opportunity to shop in the pilgrimage site outside of regular opening hours - ideal for quick errands, even on Sundays and public holidays. "People buy everything from ice cream to toilet paper, from sweets to fresh fruit and from ready-made pizza to grilled meat," says Stubauer, taking stock. The wide-ranging assortment includes over 200 items, "a little bit of everything," says Stubauer.
The market is open Monday to Friday from 12.30 pm to 2.30 pm and from 6 pm to 8 pm, on Saturdays from 1 pm to 6 pm and on Sundays and public holidays from 8 am to 12 noon. Access is possible with an ATM card, payment is made at an electronic cash register.
Markus Stubauer at the SCO checkout: People buy from all over the range.
Markus Stubauer is very pleased with the response so far: "Our self-service market is a great addition to our community, especially for people who want to shop during our lunch breaks or outside of regular opening hours. Since opening a month ago, the market has been going very well. We've had almost nothing but positive feedback from our customers."
At best, one or two older customers were initially sceptical about the self-checkout. "But then we explained it and the hurdle was overcome," reports Markus Stubauer.
Jürgen Öllinger, Managing Director of REWE Wholesale in Austria, is also convinced by the new concept: "With the first ADEG self-service store in Upper Austria, we are taking another important step towards flexible and customer-orientated local supply. We are very pleased that we can meet people's needs with this innovative concept."
ADEG
The driving force behind the Austrian ADEG brand has always been its independent retailers. With around 400 locations and around 2,300 employees throughout Austria, ADEG is an important regional local supplier. For the retailers, the motto "Land auf Herz" is a promise of authentic regionality that they make to their suppliers, producers and, above all, their customers every day. Since October 2022, ADEG has been operating under the umbrella of REWE Großhandel GmbH and is part of REWE International AG.
