With c-store sales booming across Europe, Rewe Group's purchase of convenience wholesaler Lekkerland is a masterstroke that puts the Cologne-based retailer in a premium position when it comes to growing this important category.
The announcement this week that Rewe is to buy Lekkerland, which services around 91,000 points of sale in seven European countries, took the market by surprise somewhat, but for Lionel Souque, Rewe CEO, and his team, it gives the business a strong foothold with which to grow its food-to-go operations.