The EHI Retail Institute has once again published comprehensive figures on the retail sector in its “handelsdaten aktuell 2025” report. The latest data shows that although the German food retail sector recorded moderate overall sales growth in 2024, this growth was primarily driven by discounters.
The total market achieved net sales of €209.7 billion in 2024, an increase of just over 2.5 percent compared to the previous year. Discounters performed particularly well, with revenues rising by 3.3 percent to €97.7 billion. They thus continued their growth trajectory and further expanded their market share. Supermarkets and large supermarkets also grew, but less significantly. While supermarkets grew by 2.5 percent to €65.9 billion, large supermarkets achieved an increase of 2.3 percent to €22.4 billion. In contrast, there was little change in the figures for hypermarkets, which generated €19.1 billion, and other food stores, which generated €4.6 billion.
This development reflects changing consumer behavior. “The shifts in sales show how strongly consumers are currently focusing on price-conscious shopping. In view of political uncertainties and international crises, consumer spending is very cautious, which is particularly benefiting discounters,” explains Marco Atzberger, member of the management board at EHI.
The market also remains in flux in terms of structure, albeit no longer due to strong growth in retail space. In total, customers had access to around 36,565 grocery stores in 2024 – 263 fewer than in the previous year. Expansion is less evident in a growing number of stores and more in the optimization of existing networks. Less successful locations are being closed and replaced by new stores in more attractive locations. While the number of discount stores remained virtually stable at 15,976, supermarkets declined slightly to 10,700 locations. Large supermarkets, on the other hand, were able to slightly expand their presence, reaching 1,300 stores. Self-service department stores also grew slightly. The decline in small stores continued, but at 50 fewer stores in operation, it was significantly weaker than in previous years.
Overall, the German food retail sector is growing, albeit at a modest pace. The decisive impetus is coming from discounters, which are further strengthening their role as central shopping destinations. Expansion is no longer taking place through as many additional locations as possible, but through targeted location optimization. With its “handelsdaten aktuell 2025” (current retail data 2025), the EHI not only provides an overview of these developments, but also provides numerous other key figures on retail in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
