Summary
That a supermarket giant is suddenly cooperating with three delivery services that are actually rivals is the story currently moving Germany's food market the most. REWE now has its goods delivered through Uber Eats, Wolt and Lieferando at the same time, breaking with the logic that platforms bind themselves exclusively to a single retail partner. For customers, this means a REWE order will arrive at their door via one of three different courier networks, depending on which app happens to be open. For the three delivery services themselves, it is a balancing act between collaboration and competition, because they continue to fight fiercely for the same customers, only now with the same warehouse behind them.
Details
While the delivery industry reshuffles itself, the classic fast-food world is not standing still. McDonald's Germany announced fresh chicken and burger variants at the end of September, refreshing its menu just as autumn promotions are meant to lure customers in. At the same time, the brand's German press kit is publishing at a conspicuously high pace, showing how much communications work is currently being poured into the brand. Burger King, meanwhile, is fueling discussion about pricing in the fast-food segment with ongoing discount campaigns, a debate that is being followed especially closely given rising living costs in Germany. KFC is joining the same conversation with personnel news and food-service updates, underlining that the battle for skilled workers in the restaurant systems sector is being fought at least as hotly as the battle for customers. Beyond the burger counters, Flink has established itself as the most visible pure quick-commerce provider, proof that ten-minute delivery is far from obsolete despite all the consolidation in the industry. Starbucks is cleverly using the season for seasonal promotions on its German website, keeping the coffee chain in the conversation, while Tchibo shows with fresh Kaffeereport topics that even traditional German brands can still generate headlines. McDonald's, finally, appears twice in the picture: once as a global product brand and once as a German communications machine, illustrating how multilayered the brand presence of a single corporation can be.
- 1That a supermarket giant is suddenly cooperating with three delivery services that are actually rivals is the story currently moving Germany's food market the most.
- 2REWE now has its goods delivered through Uber Eats, Wolt and Lieferando at the same time, breaking with the logic that platforms bind themselves exclusively to a single retail partner.
- 3For customers, this means a REWE order will arrive at their door via one of three different courier networks, depending on which app happens to be open.
- 4For the three delivery services themselves, it is a balancing act between collaboration and competition, because they continue to fight fiercely for the same customers, only now with the same warehouse behind them.
- 5While the delivery industry reshuffles itself, the classic fast-food world is not standing still.
Conclusion
All in all, today shows a market moving on two levels at once: on top, the classic fast-food chains competing for visibility with new products and price promotions; below, delivery logistics being completely rethought through partnerships such as REWE's. For consumers in Germany, this mainly means more choice and more opportunities to compare, but for the providers themselves it also means more pressure to constantly reinvent themselves. To survive in this environment, it seems, you need both: a convincing product at the counter and a smart partner at the door.