In the midst of life, close to people: In our film series, we present impressive REWE Group retailers – strong personalities who have led their stores to success with their individual signature and a common sales concept.
Their stories are as diverse as they are – and yet they are united by a common foundation of values that is deeply rooted in the cooperative tradition of the REWE Group. In today’s portrait: BILLA inependent retailer Kurt Akalin.
Everyone has knowledge in their own field and if we put it all together, then we will grow together in the long term,
says BILLA independent retailer Kurt Akalin confidently. This is how a cooperative works at the REWE Group – internationally too.
Kurt Akalin was met with great open-mindedness when he started his career at BILLA. He started in March 2020 as a coronavirus assistant. Just 3.5 years later, he decided to become a shop assistant himself. His constant presence in the market is crucial to his success, as he not only assists his customers with product questions, but also shares personal stories with them. In this interview, he explains how the cooperative has accompanied him on his journey.
BILLA retailer Kurt Akalin
BILLA retailer Kurt Akalin on his journey from a temporary job to his own store.
BILLA has been one of the most successful food retailers in Austria for more than 70 years and employs over 30,000 people at around 1,300 locations. bILLA became part of the REWE Group in 1996 when we took over the food retailer. In addition to Austria, BILLA is also active in Bulgaria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. After ADEG Kaufleuten, a traditional purchasing cooperative, joined REWE Group in Austria in 2006, the first BILLA stores managed by retailers opened under the umbrella of our community in the fall of 2022.
