REWE Group Launches Own Network Operation for Girocard Payments

Cologne, 29.09.11

As many as 100 transactions a second during peak hours

REWE Group is installing its own network operation to handle girocard payments, the first food trading company in Germany to do so. Activation for the initial tests in a limited number of stores is scheduled for the first half of 2012 already. The goal is to convert more than 6,000 branch stores to the new system (REWE, PENNY, toom, toom Baumarkt, ProMarkt) within one year.

This step is REWE Group’s acknowledgement of the growing importance of girocard payments. Although about 70 per cent of all payments are still made in cash, the use of the girocard for these transactions is steadily increasing. The year-on-year comparison in 2010 alone showed a rise of about 1.5 per cent.

“The 250 million card transactions we now have annually is a volume which makes it commercially sensible to operate our own network,” stated Frank Wiemer, Management Board member at REWE Group. The seven-figure investments will pay for themselves within four years at the latest. “Taking this step will make us more independent and flexible. But most importantly, we will be preparing today to meet the demands of tomorrow,” noted Wiemer. However, this does not mean a complete separation from easycash, the previous network operating partner of many years’ standing, as the cooperation will continue in certain areas in the future as well.

REWE Group’s own network operation will be based on state-of-the-art technology with respect to security and stability. Compliance with all of the data protection law requirements will be assured by the required certification from “Die Deutsche Kreditwirtschaft” (DK, previously ZKA) and consultation in advance with the state officer for data protection and information security of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (LDI NRW) responsible for REWE Group.

REWE Group, founded in 1927, has turnover in excess of €53 billion (2010) and currently employs a workforce of more than 310,000, making it one of the leading trading and travel and tourism groups in Germany and Europe. The company, which has a history extending back more than 80 years, operates over 15,000 stores in 14 countries today. In 2010, the Group employed a workforce of 224,000 in about 11,000 stores in Germany, realising turnover of €36.5 billion.
Its sales lines include supermarkets and hypermarkets of the brands REWE, REWE CENTER, REWE CITY, toom and BILLA, the discounter PENNY, the toom BauMarkt stores (toom Baumarkt and B1 Discount Baumarkt) and the consumer electronics stores of ProMarkt. The travel and tourism division includes the tour operators ITS, JAHN REISEN, TJAEREBORG, Dertour and Meier's Weltreisen in addition to the business travel segment FCm Travel Solutions and about 2,000 travel agencies (including ATLASReisen, DER Reisebüro, DERPART).

Contact

REWE GROUP-Corporate Communications
Tel.: 0221 - 149-1050
E-Mail: presse(at)rewe-group.com

Contact