Edeka wins clearance for 178 Tegut stores as Monopolies Commission warns of market power

Regulatory approval with branch restrictions

The Federal Cartel Office cleared Edeka to acquire 178 Tegut supermarket branches, primarily located in Hesse, Bavaria, and Thuringia. Edeka had originally planned to purchase 202 of Tegut's approximately 300 locations across Germany. To address competition issues in local markets, Edeka agreed to a four-year restriction against acquiring 24 specific branches, including 11 in Hesse and six in Lower Franconia. Federal Cartel Office President Andreas Mundt defended the conditional approval as a safeguard for local shoppers.

With this we prevent deterioration for consumers in the affected regions through the takeover.

Monopolies Commission warns of market power

The clearance drew criticism from Germany's Monopolies Commission, which cautioned against rising concentration in the food retail sector. Commission President Tomaso Duso stated that the country's four largest supermarket chains (Edeka, the Schwarz Group, the Rewe Group, and Aldi) already generate more than 90% of total German grocery revenue. Duso warned that further consolidation reduces competition and exposes shoppers to price pressures.

For competition it is painful that another retailer disappears from the market.

The advisory body had previously evaluated grocery retail concentration in a November 2025 special report, identifying substantial supplier dependency on the dominant groups. Duso pointed out that high market transparency and overlapping product ranges enable the leading chains to adjust to one another easily, complicating regulatory efforts to curb potential abuses of buyer power.

A central area of supply in Germany is thus in the hands of only four companies.

Assets, logistics, and employment transition

The approved transaction transfers 41 automated Teo mini-markets, Tegut's central logistics facility in Hünfeld-Michelsrombach, and the Herzberger bakery in Fulda to Edeka. Edeka plans to integrate the acquired supermarkets gradually into its cooperative network, converting several sites into Netto Marken-Discount outlets, including six of the 20 acquired stores in Frankfurt. Edeka stated that the transaction provides continued employment perspectives for approximately 3,700 staff members, including 190 apprentices. Regional branch distribution includes 17 stores in Munich and nine in the Nuremberg area, while excluded branches in Bavarian towns like Gerbrunn, Estenfeld, and Schonungen remain subject to future decisions.

Dispersal of the remaining Tegut network

Swiss cooperative Migros Zurich, which acquired Tegut in 2019, announced its decision to divest the approximately 300-store chain in March 2026. The Tegut supermarket brand, founded in 1947, is scheduled to disappear by the end of the year. Other retail competitors have moved to secure remaining assets from the network. Smart-store operator Tante Enso received regulatory clearance to take over 36 branches in June 2026. The Rewe Group is currently seeking approval to acquire up to 40 branches after submitting proposed commitments to the competition authority. Migros Zurich continues to run an active bidding process for unassigned branches that have not yet secured a buyer.