Selling to Austrian grocery retail
Updated:
In short
Austrian grocery retail is one of the most concentrated markets in Europe. Spar, the Rewe group (Billa, Billa Plus, Penny, Adeg) and the two discounters Hofer and Lidl together held 94.4% of food retail sales in 2025. Food retail sold €29.2 billion in 2025. Spar leads and keeps growing; Rewe is second; Hofer and Lidl gain share together. Regional origin and promotions weigh heavily in every negotiation.
Austria at a glance
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Food retail sales 2025 | €29.2 billion gross (+3.0%), 5,065 stores | NielsenIQ, 19 May 2026 |
| Food and drugstore retail 2025 | €32.1 billion (+3.1%); real sales fell slightly with 3.6% inflation | NielsenIQ, 19 May 2026 |
| Independent merchants | €3.9 billion, 1,571 stores, 13.4% market share | NielsenIQ, 19 May 2026 |
| Online grocery | About €216 million in 2022, about 1% of grocery sales | BWB, 31 Oct 2023 |
Market shares, food retail (NielsenIQ)
| Group | 2025 | Jan–Jul 2026 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spar | 36.3% | 36.9% | NielsenIQ, 19 May 2026; Leadersnet, 6 Sep 2026 |
| Rewe group (Billa, Billa Plus, Penny, Adeg; excl. Bipa) | 32.4% | 32.1% | same |
| Hofer and Lidl (reported together) | 25.7% | 26.0% | same |
| Markant group (Nah&Frisch; Unimarkt until its exit) | 2.1% | 1.4% | same |
| Others, mainly MPreis | 3.5% | 3.6% | same |
NielsenIQ does not publish Hofer and Lidl separately. Concentration: Spar, Rewe, Hofer and Lidl together held 94.4% in 2025.
Who buys how
- Rewe International AG (Wiener Neudorf) runs Billa and Billa Plus (more than 1,200 stores), Penny (about 320) and Adeg (about 370 stores run by independent merchants). It also runs a wholesale arm and plans about 200 Billa franchise stores by 2030 (Rewe Group Austria; Leadersnet, 23 Apr 2026).
- Spar Österreich (Salzburg) is a private Austrian family company. Strategic decisions are made in Salzburg; six regional head offices serve and supply the stores in their region. 678 of its 1,514 Austrian stores are run by independent merchants or filling-station operators (Spar company page; Spar, 12 Mar 2026).
- Hofer (Sattledt, Upper Austria) is the Austrian arm of Aldi Süd, with about 540 stores (Hofer, 26 Jun 2026; Tips, 13 Aug 2024).
- Lidl Österreich (Salzburg) has more than 250 stores and passed €2 billion in sales in fiscal year 2025 (Lidl Österreich).
- MPreis (Völs, Tyrol) is a family business with 279 stores, most of them in Tyrol (MPreis).
- Unimarkt left the market at the end of 2025. Spar has taken over 25 sites (23 directly after approval by the competition authority, plus 2 whose independent merchants switched to Spar); Rewe announced it would take over 21 (Leadersnet, 22 Dec 2025; Spar, 12 Mar 2026).
Getting listed in Austria
- National or regional: Spar makes strategic decisions in Salzburg, but six regional head offices supply the stores in their region, and many Spar and Adeg stores are run by independent merchants (Spar; Rewe Group Austria). For a small producer, a regional or local listing is often the realistic first step: INTERSPAR alone works with more than 1,000 suppliers for its local-products shelf (Spar sustainability brochure 2025).
- Austrian origin: retailers stress Austrian sourcing. Spar, Billa and Hofer sell only Austrian fresh meat, and Lidl says more than 60% of the food it sells comes from Austria (see each guide). The AMA-Gütesiegel requires agricultural raw materials from Austrian farms and all production steps in Austria, with independent controls (Leadersnet, 26 Aug 2026).
- Barcodes: GS1 Austria is the only official issuer of GTINs (EAN codes) in Austria (WKO confirmation via GS1 Austria, 3 Jan 2017). Food retailers increasingly require them even from direct marketers (Bio Austria, 30 Nov 2023).
Selling to Austrian retail?
See your listings, promotions and sell-out across Austrian retailers in one place.
Promotions in Austria
| Element | How it works | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Promotion share | About 30% of the value of the RollAMA fresh-food basket was bought on promotion in 2025; "just under a third" in 2024 | RollAMA, 10 Mar 2026; Leadersnet, 11 Mar 2025 |
| Discount stickers (Rewe) | Billa's paper discount stickers. In July 2025 Rewe limited the -25% stickers to jö members; after strong criticism it brought them back for all customers on 25 September 2025 | Leadersnet, 1 Oct 2025 |
| jö Bonus Club | Rewe's loyalty programme, more than 4.7 million members | Leadersnet, 2 Jul 2026 |
| Spar app | App "Joker" discount on selected products and collectable discount stamps (Rabattmarkerl) | spar.at |
| Discounters | Lidl offers start Monday and Thursday; Hofer offers start on several weekdays; both use apps and WhatsApp flyers | lidl.at; hofer.at |
What the sticker episode shows: Rewe lost 1.1 points of market share in July 2025 and 1.3 points in August, while Spar gained (Leadersnet, 1 Oct 2025). Austrian shoppers react strongly to changes in promotion mechanics.
Competition authority (BWB) sector inquiry, 2023: the BWB found a "rigid" market structure with a slight trend towards more concentration, and that locally three to five grocers usually dominate. Austria has a higher promotion share than Germany. Among suppliers surveyed, 14.3% faced unilateral contract changes and 13.6% a payment demand without a counter-service. The BWB recommended, among other things, written contracts for supplier relationships and clearer rules on advertised discounts (BWB, 31 Oct 2023).
FAQ
Who are the biggest grocery retailers in Austria?
Spar (36.3% in 2025), the Rewe group with Billa, Billa Plus, Penny and Adeg (32.4%), and the discounters Hofer and Lidl (25.7% together). MPreis is the largest regional player.
How concentrated is Austrian grocery retail?
Very. Spar, Rewe, Hofer and Lidl together held 94.4% of food retail sales in 2025.
Do I need a GTIN to sell to Austrian retailers?
In practice, yes. GS1 Austria is the only official issuer of GTINs in Austria.
How important are promotions in Austria?
Very. About 30% of the value of the RollAMA fresh-food basket was bought on promotion in 2025, and the BWB found a higher promotion share than in Germany.
Can I start with a regional listing?
Often, yes. Spar has six regional head offices and many independent merchants, Adeg stores are run by independent merchants, and MPreis focuses on Tyrol and nearby regions.
How Sellva helps
Sellva tracks your listings, promotions, sell-out and field visits for each Austrian account in one place, and Sellva Agent flags risks for your KAM.
Retailer guides in Austria
Spar Austria
How Spar Austria buys, how to get listed, how promotions and private label work.
Read the guide →
Billa (Rewe Austria)
How Rewe Austria buys for Billa, Billa Plus, Penny and Adeg, how to get listed, how promotions and private label work.
Read the guide →
Hofer
How Hofer, Aldi Süd's Austrian discounter, buys, how to get listed, how promotions and private label work.
Read the guide →
Lidl Austria
How Lidl Austria buys, how to get listed, how promotions and private label work.
Read the guide →
MPreis
How the Tyrolean family chain MPreis buys, how to get listed, how promotions and private label work.
Read the guide →
Sources
- NielsenIQ: Austrian food and drugstore retail 2025 (19 May 2026)
- Leadersnet: market shares Jan–Jul 2026 (6 Sep 2026)
- Leadersnet: discount-sticker row and market shares (1 Oct 2025)
- Leadersnet: Unimarkt exit (22 Dec 2025)
- Leadersnet: Rewe Austria 2025 (23 Apr 2026); jö Bonus Club (2 Jul 2026); AMA-Gütesiegel (26 Aug 2026); RollAMA 2024 (11 Mar 2025)
- RollAMA presentation (10 Mar 2026)
- BWB: food sector inquiry, executive summary (31 Oct 2023)
- Spar: 2025 facts and figures (12 Mar 2026); Spar company page; Spar sustainability brochure 2025
- Rewe Group Austria; Hofer press release (26 Jun 2026); Lidl Österreich; MPreis
- GS1 Austria: WKO confirmation (3 Jan 2017); Bio Austria: EAN codes (30 Nov 2023)
- Tips: new Hofer CEOs (13 Aug 2024)
- spar.at homepage; lidl.at homepage; Hofer: offers
This guide is based on public sources. Sellva is not affiliated with any of the retailers named.