Digital Responsibility

As an industry pioneer in online grocery shopping, the REWE Group is driving digitalisation in marketing, sales, purchasing and logistics. For us, the development and use of complex technologies comes with a special responsibility. We are actively shaping the digital future in dialogue with policymakers, businesses, associations, social organisations, scientists and customers.

Many business areas at the REWE Group have embraced digitalisation for optimising processes, improving customer service or introducing innovative payment methods, for example. While technological progress is an important part of this, ethical and sustainability considerations are central to the REWE Group’s sense of responsibility. We are committed to ensuring that digitalisation and responsibility go hand in hand, without forgetting the human dimension.

Portrait of Christoph Eltze

Christoph Eltze

Member of the Management Board – Chief Digital and Technology Officer

Very early on, we looked at the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence. Three years ago, we became one of the first companies in the retail sector to publish an “AI Manifesto” , which provides concrete recommendations for our developers when developing and using the relevant applications – and expressly takes ethical considerations into account.

Christoph Eltze

Member of the Management Board – Chief Digital and Technology Officer

  • REWE employees working at a cash register in a REWE store.

  • A focus on the responsible use of data

    Compliance with data protection laws is a given at the REWE Group. We have gone one step further by making the careful handling of personal data an integral part of our Code of Conduct. We also actively engage in public discussion about the legal framework for data protection.

    At the REWE Group, we work closely with business partners and service providers to leverage the growing amount of data and thus better understand our business and predict future developments. Handling customer and employee data responsibly and with minimal data collection is particularly important to us.

  • Through demand-driven service offerings and more efficient, sustainable processes, we want to help shape the future of the retail sector. This includes being open to new technologies. We are often pioneers in this regard. Our innovative store formats, such as Pick&Go, and our pilot projects, for example with Catch, harness the latest technologies and AI applications without losing sight of our principles. After two tests with hybrid shops in Cologne and Berlin, REWE Pick&Go has reached the next milestone and opened the first fully autonomous REWE store in Munich’s city centre. With the Pick&Go hybrid store format, customers can choose to pay for their purchases at a traditional staffed checkout or self-checkout or to use the Pick&Go checkout-free process.

An AI-generated image of a modern logistics center with a drone flying through it. An AI-generated image of a modern logistics center with a drone flying through it. AI-generated
  • A person is sitting at a table with a laptop and talking on a smartphone in a green office setting.

  • Strong together in the digital world

    Knowledge is power when it comes to making digitalisation work in the long run, and we want a level playing field for everyone. However, improving digital literacy involves more than building expertise in digital products and services. Our values and principles, such as being open and able to change, and other soft skills also play a key role.

  • Retail of the future

    With 16 dedicated food fulfilment centres and over 3,300 employees, the REWE delivery service is the largest food delivery service in Germany. Offering low delivery fees, very fast delivery and a strong focus on regional products, the REWE delivers in more than 90 cities and surrounding areas throughout Germany. As a pioneer and market leader, we continue to develop our range of over 15,000 products and our services in line with the specific and ever-changing needs of our customers.

    The REWE collection service is the largest retail grocery “click & collect” service in Germany, with 2.000 participating stores – that’s more than half of all REWE supermarkets – and more to come. We continue to develop our offerings by trialling new concepts and innovative pilot projects, especially in the areas of mobility, sustainability and digitalisation.

  • An AI-generated image of a young woman on the street holding a smartphone. AI-generated
  • A person wearing red work clothes is carrying a red box full of fresh food—such as fruit, vegetables, lettuce, and herbs—up a flight of stairs.

We deliver.

With REWE’s delivery service, customers in 90 cities and nearby areas can order groceries online and have them delivered to their doorstep.

  • From tourism…

    Besides being important for the REWE Group’s retail network, comprehensive omnichannel offerings that include both online and offline channels are also vital for our tourism division. The DERTOUR travel agencies, for example, are already successfully using artificial intelligence (AI) to swiftly create individualised holiday offers and customer bookings, relieve staff by handling standardised enquiries and improve customer service by responding in real time. Human customer service remains important, but AI and models like ChatGPT complement this service and help employees connect brick-and-mortar stores with online sales.

  • A person is holding a child in their arms in front of a large window at the airport, while the child points to an airplane on the tarmac.

  • …to logistics

    Artificial intelligence is also playing an increasingly important role in logistics, for example in warehouse automation. The new, fully automated “RE D 39” distribution centre in Magdeburg has raised the bar in this area by introducing 50 per cent automated warehouse processes to streamline the supply of goods. Under this innovative concept, 50 per cent of the range is picked automatically, while the remaining 50 per cent is packed manually, making possible a more ergonomically designed workplace. AI-powered algorithms are also used to further improve efficiency and ergonomics.

  • A person is sitting at a desk in front of a computer, working with the mouse, while another person is in the foreground.

    Our 5 Core Beliefs

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere and is transforming our daily lives and the world of work. From images to chatbots—AI is everywhere and evolving rapidly. We primarily use AI in two areas: as analytical AI, which helps us analyze large amounts of data for specific applications and use cases and learn from them to inform decisions; and as generative AI, which allows us to “chat” via text and, for example, translate or generate text.

  • 1. AI is a critical success factor for the REWE Group

    AI will have a massive impact on our economy. It will be a key factor for success, particularly for the retail and tourism sectors, and will have a decisive influence on the economy as a whole. AI has significant disruptive potential that will also affect our business areas.

  • 2. AI will affect every job

    AI is not a niche topic. Everyone will have to deal with AI—not just our colleagues in analytics. This does not mean, by any means, that it will replace jobs. Instead, AI will help us generate content, refine ideas, make decisions, or relieve us of routine tasks. To harness this potential, we must learn how to work with AI.

  • 3. We can only unlock the potential of AI by working together

    Collaboration is essential to make effective use of AI. To achieve this, business units, analytics, and IT—supported by legal, corporate governance, human resources, and corporate communications—must organize themselves cross-functionally and network across the entire group. At the REWE Group, we must work together to develop solutions from a group-wide perspective.

  • 4. AI requires responsible use

    There are clear legal frameworks governing AI that we must all take seriously, with the EU AI Act and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) playing a central role. There are technical and ethical limits we must keep in mind when using AI, such as potential bias, explainability, context dependency, and reliability. Blind trust is not appropriate when dealing with AI. The results AI provides us must always be verified and placed in context to ensure we do not make mistakes.

  • 5. In the field of AI, the REWE Group has a strong starting position

    We are already using AI on a large scale to improve processes and make decisions. Practical examples of how we use analytical AI include space optimization for approximately 3,400 REWE stores and product assortment optimization for our REWE and Nahkauf stores. AI helps us make better use of space and tailor the product assortment in our stores even more precisely to the needs of our local customers.

  • We view AI as a major opportunity, but we must assess the risks involved in its use.

    We continue to put people at the center of our efforts and support them with AI. AI can serve as an accelerator, a tool for simplifying complexity, and a catalyst for creativity. We believe this will help us maintain sustainable competitiveness in a challenging market environment. We are committed to preventing any potential harm to the REWE Group, our employees, customers, and business partners.

  • We want to communicate with one another on a personal level.

    We view the REWE Group as a community of individuals that remains effective through personal connections and mutual trust. AI enables the efficient creation of messages and can automate communication. By “communication on equal terms,” we also mean that we are open and fair enough to disclose where AI is used in personal communication.

  • Even with AI support, I am personally responsible for the results of my work.

    Responsibility is at the heart of all economic activity. AI can assist people with many tasks. However, it cannot and must not assume responsibility. We continue to review the results of our work—whether with or without AI support—to ensure they are accurate, meaningful, and in compliance with ethical and legal standards.

  • The topic of AI concerns us all.

    Just as the introduction of computers and the internet did, AI will fundamentally transform the way we work. As employees of the REWE Group, we are therefore constantly faced with the challenge of new areas of expertise emerging, which in turn will replace existing ones. Our employees are actively shaping this upcoming transformation. As a company, we support our employees with the right solutions so they can meet these challenges in a way that is future-proof.

  • Our Ethical Principles Regarding the Use of Artificial Intelligence

    We are committed to ensuring the ethical use of AI. That is why we design AI-related processes, applications, and outcomes to be transparent and fair. Our ethical principles for working with AI serve as a foundation for our employees’ daily actions.

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