How discounters are gaining ground in Germany

More and more Germans are shopping at discount chains such as Aldi and Lidl. Traditional chains, such as Edeka and Rewe, have seen their market share largely stagnate or even decline. What is going on?

Penny rises, Rewe loses ground

The German supermarket sector has remained in flux over the past 21 months. Between January 2024 and September 2025, the share of visits to discounters grew from 46.5% to 47.2%, according to a new analysis by Accurat. “At first glance, this shift seems small, but in a market as large and competitive as Germany, every percentage point means millions of store visits. Even small shifts in visit share can redefine competition in a market like Germany,” explains CEO Bart Muskala.