The television programme Markencheck by the German television broadcaster ARD has subjected the German supermarket chains Rewe and Edeka to a test. Compared to discounters like Aldi and Lidl, Rewe and Edeka are part of Germany's slightly more expensive supermarkets - and successfully. With their cheap brands 'Ja!' and 'Gut und Günstig', but mainly with brand name products and own brand delicacies they have grown to be the two leading chains in Germany. But is there a better quality behind these higher prices? Or are people just paying for the packaging and marketing, whilst the contents are the same? ARD tested this.
As far as price is concerned Rewe and Edeka aren't always more expensive than their supposedly cheap competitors. A shopping basket with 15 different brand products might be cheapest in Lidl, but if a customer buys the same brands in Rewe, it only costs 1.50 Euro more. The difference becomes even more minimal when one compares Rewe and Edeka's cheap own brands with discount products. There is basically no difference. So if you want to shop price consciously, you don't always have to go to a discounter.
Despite the promises advertised, Rewe and Edeka's products are not of better quality than the discounter's products, the test shows. Fruits and vegetables from these two chains remain fresh for just as long as those in the discounters. Lettuce tested from Edeka was a complete disaster, as it was no longer fresh on arrival in the lab. The quality of the meat, tested in various price categories, was also surprising. There were barely any differences in quality between the packaged meats and products from the fresh department. The reason: the same meat is used for both product types. It's just seasoned differently. The price differences are unjustifiable.
In the matter of fairness, both supermarket chains have some changing to do. Rewe advertises their own sustainability label 'Pro Planet', but due to the large numbers of suppliers and the large purchase quantities, they cannot guarantee that fruits and vegetables actually come from sustainable plantations. The packaging companies receive the products from growers from for instance, Spain, which employs underpaid harvest workers and day workers. Many of them live in slums. But even the working conditions in Germany itself turn out to be less than optimal at Rewe and Edeka. The test shows there is some exploitation in labour that borders legality.
Conclusion: the better feeling many consumers have when shopping at Rewe and Edeka can soon be dispersed in the areas of fairness and quality, partially due to the test results.
