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Supermarket chain REWE is reportedly opening an all-vegan store in Berlin, Germany.
Named REWE Voll Pflanzlich, which loosely translates to “REWE completely plant-based,” the new store will be the first of its kind from the brand. REWE is the second-largest food retailer in the country with approximately 3,300 locations nationwide.
The shop front of the new store – located on Warschauer Straße, in the east Berlin district of popular tourist destination Friedrichshain – was previously home to the trailblazing plant-based supermarket Veganz, which closed in 2023 so the company could focus on product manufacturing.
The news of REWE’s new store was first shared on Supermarketblog, which noted that while a trademark registration for the name REWE Voll Pflanzlich has not yet taken place, the new shop front was temporarily visible to passersby during renovation work.
Germany embraces plant-based foods
REWE reportedly declined to comment on the news, but the brand has increasingly catered to customers shopping for plant-based items over the last few years. REWE has even introduced a dedicated vegan meat counter and stocked service counters with plant-based options.
Germany currently has the highest rate of vegetarianism in Europe and over 1.5 million vegans, in addition to half the population – over 40 million people – who describe themselves as flexitarian or are otherwise cutting back on animal products. In fact, just 20 percent of Germans still consume meat daily, a record-breaking change in dietary habits.
The German government itself has even promised an investment of USD $41 million (€38 million) for the promotion of vegan foods and alternative proteins such as precision fermented, cell-cultivated, and plant-based meats, in order to protect the environment.
Science definitively backs a reduction in meat and dairy planetary and personal health as well as a more sustainable – and equitable – food system. The animal agriculture industry is responsible for at least 16.5 percent of GHG emissions, along with extensive deforestation, biodiversity loss, water use, and pollution.
ProVeg, a food advocacy NGO, previously described the German government’s promise as “groundbreaking.” ProVeg International’s Strategic Director Jens Tuider commented that the German government is “setting the stage for a transformative shift in protein consumption.”
‘We want to make affordable, plant-based enjoyment possible’
While an all-vegan supermarket is a first for REWE under its own name, subsidiary brand BILLA has already opened two such stores in Vienna and Graz, Austria, and has extensive plant-based sections in at least 21 additional locations.
“We want to make affordable, plant-based enjoyment possible for all customers. Especially flexitarians, who are always integrating plant-based options into their diet,” said BILLA’s Head of Plant-Based Business Development Verena Wiederkehr in a release at the time.
Supermarkets are at the forefront when it comes to making plant-based foods more accessible, and there are an increasing number of private-label options to choose from.
According to V-Label, the world’s leading vegan and vegetarian trademark, it now certifies products for many major European retailers, including REWA and BILLA as well as Lidl, Aldi, Tesco, and SPAR, all of which have introduced or expanded their own plant-based ranges.
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