German food retail / Market entry
Get your product onto German supermarket shelves.
A family-run firm from northern Germany with more than 25 years in German food retail. We open the door to the buyers at the biggest retailers and discounters, and manage the path to your listing.
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25+ years in German food retail
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No listing, no commission
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Family-run. One team from analysis to shelf.
Why Germany is hard
Most brands don't fail in Germany because of their product.
They fail because they never reach the people who decide.
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01
Four groups decide.
EDEKA, REWE, the Schwarz Group (Lidl, Kaufland) and ALDI control the majority of German food retail. Miss them, and you miss the market.
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02
Buyers don't answer unknown brands.
Cold calls and emails to category buyers go unanswered. Without an introduction, there is no meeting.
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03
Discounters set the price.
ALDI and Lidl define the benchmark. Your price has to work before the first conversation starts.
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04
Compliance is the entry ticket.
German food law, labelling rules and certifications such as IFS or BRC are non-negotiable.
The real cost isn't the unanswered email. It's every year your product isn't on the shelf.
Why Storeline
A family business with a combined 25+ years in German food retail.
We take your product to German retailers, from concept to shelf placement. We have sat on both sides of the buyer meeting, so we know which arguments move a listing decision and which ones waste your first meeting.
25+
Years in German food retail
Inside the retailer.
We know what buyers at German retailers look for in a new product, and we help you prepare yours for exactly that.
We come from the same place.
We spent many years working for food manufacturers ourselves. We know how your side works and how the buyer's side works.
No listing, no commission. Our commission is tied to your listing and your sales. Our interest is identical to yours.
Services
From the aisle to the listing.
We don't sell packages. Every engagement follows the same logic: first we find out whether your product can win in German retail. Then we take it to the buyer.
Tell us about your product
Phase 01 - Analysis
Store check & category analysis
We walk the aisles at REWE, EDEKA, ALDI, Lidl and Kaufland and document who is on the shelf, at which price and with which claims. You receive a category and competitor analysis with shelf price benchmarks by retailer.
Phase 01 - Analysis
Your product through a buyer's eyes
We review your product the way a German category buyer will: positioning, packaging, pricing and category fit. You learn what needs to change before the first meeting.
Phase 01 - Analysis
Which retailer first, at what price
An entry strategy that names the first retailer, the price point and the SKUs to lead with. The result is a written analysis that answers one question: is your product listable in Germany, and at what price?
Phase 02 - Buyer access
From the pitch to the listing
We prepare the pitch, arrange the appointment and sit in the meeting with the category buyer. We negotiate through to the listing and stay on afterwards. This phase is commission-based: we only earn once your product is listed.
Process
How we work.
Four phases, one family team. From the first shelf check to the annual negotiations after your listing.
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Does your product work on a German shelf? We find out before you invest in entry.
We review positioning, packaging, pricing and category fit from a German buyer's perspective, then walk the aisles at REWE, EDEKA, ALDI, Lidl and Kaufland to benchmark your product against what is actually on the shelf.
A clear go or no-go before the first buyer meeting.
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Which retailer, which SKUs, which price. Decided before the first meeting.
Not every retailer is the right first step, and the wrong one costs you a year. We define the retailer sequence, the SKU selection and a price point that works for your margin and the buyer's.
Labelling, certification and compliance are checked here, not after the pitch.
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From the buyer appointment to the listing decision.
We prepare the buyer presentation, arrange the appointment and sit in the meeting. It is held in German, on the buyer's terms, and we negotiate conditions, volumes and listing terms from there.
A full debrief after every meeting: outcome, objections and the next step.
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A listing is the start of the business, not the end of the project.
Once your product is on the shelf, we manage the retailer relationship: annual negotiations, promotional planning and range extensions. We track sell-through and act before a slow SKU turns into a delisting.
The goal is not one listing. It is a growing German business.
No listing, no commission. Phases 3 and 4 are commission-based. We only earn once your product is listed.
Contact
Is your product ready for German retail?
Tell us about your product and your plans for Germany. We'll review your details and get back to you within two business days to discuss the next steps.
- Reply within two business daysFrom us personally, not an automated sequence.
- Your contact: Joel PetryManaging Director, Storeline Consulting
Thank you.
We've received your request and will get back to you within two business days.
Joel Petry, Storeline Consulting