Kaufland closes branch in Sigmaringen: What does that mean for customers?

Kaufland closes branch in Sigmaringen: What does that mean for customers?

The food giant Kaufland has announced that it will close several of its branches in the coming years, including a location in Baden-Württemberg. This decision concerns both the current year and 2025, with the focus above all at locations in North Rhine-Westphalia. In Baden-Württemberg, however, the east of the federal state has so far been stable, at least in terms of the future opening or closure of branches.

Kaufland, which belongs to the Schwarz Group, which is based in Neckarsulm near Heilbronn, has more than 770 branches in Germany. The decision to close certain locations, such as the one in Sigmaringen, results from the expiry of rental contracts. Kaufland has already announced not to extend it anymore. Nevertheless, the relevant branch in Sigmaringen remains in good hands because the competitor Edeka will take over the place.

branches in East Württemberg still stable

However, Kaufland is particularly well represented in East Württemberg. From Ellwangen to Ulm there are numerous buying land locations almost everywhere within a 20-kilometer radius. The exact location is shown in cities such as Schwäbisch Gmünd, Aalen and Heidenheim. The eleven branches in the districts of Ostalb, Heidenheim and Alb-Donau do not seem to be affected by closings. Local reports indicate that there are no planned changes for these locations.

In the event of a demand for these specific branches, there was no departmental word, which indicates that the risk of loss of shopping in the east of Baden-Württemberg is low. Instead, Kaufland plans to open new markets, for example, a new branch will be inaugurated in Tuttlingen.

nationwide branch closures

A larger part of the closings affects North Rhine-Westphalia, where several locations, such as in Siegen-Flundersbach and Greiz, have already been closed. The announced closures also include the branches in the Bochum Ruhrpark as well as planned closures in Recklinghausen and Dortmund-Mengede in early 2025. However, the management emphasized that this should not be the norm. A Kaufland spokesman said that the company is always interested in lucrative locations and would like to actively work on expanding the branch network.

With over 1,500 branches in eight European countries and around 155,000 employees, Kaufland is a significant size in the food sector. These closures are part of a strategic realignment of the company in order to focus on more profitable and future -proof locations. Despite the challenges associated with the branch loss, Kaufland remains optimistic to further expand his business and to meet the needs of consumers.