{"id":18882,"date":"2023-01-06T14:02:59","date_gmt":"2023-01-06T13:02:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/de\/?post_type=opinion&p=28145"},"modified":"2023-02-01T13:54:36","modified_gmt":"2023-02-01T12:54:36","slug":"local-supply-infrastructure-in-rural-areas-needs-smart-solutions","status":"publish","type":"opinion","link":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/press-and-media\/newsroom\/opinions\/local-supply-infrastructure-in-rural-areas-needs-smart-solutions\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cLocal supply infrastructure in rural areas needs smart solutions\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Dear Reader,<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Around 8,000 residential areas in Germany are undersupplied. That means some of the people living in those areas have to travel a long way to buy everyday provisions, which is particularly difficult for people without their own transport as well as for the elderly and the sick. This is where the \u2018nahkauf Box\u2019 comes in. Our solution for the local supply infrastructure in rural areas combines the innovation and technical expertise of the REWE Group with the regional focus and commitment of our merchants, thereby offering the best of both worlds.<\/p>\n

The \u2018nahkauf Box\u2019 is being piloted in the Upper Franconian village of Pettstadt, but what is it exactly? In the tiniest of spaces, our customers can come in and choose from up to 700 everyday items, ranging from apples to toothbrushes. The box operates without sales staff and is open around the clock. Access and payment are barrier-free and uncomplicated with a debit or credit card.<\/p>\n

A key factor in the project’s success is its acceptance by the local community. At our pilot store in Pettstadt, Bavaria, we found that in the beginning \u2013 at the local authority’s suggestion \u2013 younger customers were explaining to older customers how the box and the payment process worked. But now they no longer need that kind of assistance. The \u2018nahkauf Box\u2019 literally brings people together, because \u2013 just like a regular supermarket \u2013 it serves as a place for the people of the village to meet. The format sees the box operated and stocked by a nahkauf retailer whose main store is located nearby. It is my belief that being firmly rooted in the local community will help make the \u2018nahkauf Box\u2019 not only a success but also a project dear to people’s hearts.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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People of all ages in rural areas want innovative and smart solutions to secure their local supply of everyday provisions.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n <\/div>\n

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Florian S\u00f6rensen , National Head of Sales at nahkauf<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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\n \"florian-soerensen\"\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

Florian S\u00f6rensen , National Head of Sales at nahkauf<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Even though the box can be operated without sales staff, that doesn’t stop our customers from communicating with us, as the feedback terminal in our pilot box receives up to 100 messages per week from people telling us what products they would like the box to sell. Demand is high for fresh produce, such as fruit and vegetables, but also for local meat products and freshly baked goods.<\/p>\n

So, as our Bavarian pilot project shows: People of all ages in rural areas want innovative and smart solutions to secure their local supply of everyday provisions.<\/em> To ensure that shopping at a \u2018nahkauf Box\u2019 remains a sustainable, long-term and economical option \u2013 which is always the greatest challenge with this kind of project \u2013 we want to define initial main factors for success, based on our experience.<\/p>\n

The first of these include creating clear and reliable framework conditions and ensuring legal certainty for innovative solutions of this kind \u2013 particularly where our self-employed merchants are concerned. This begins with the question of which building and approval processes are required for digital stores like our \u2018nahkauf Box\u2019.<\/p>\n

Most important and most crucial, however, is a trusting cooperation with the local authority and its administrative functions. Not all communities and local authorities are the same or have the same needs. Success is therefore based on continual open dialogue between mayors, district administrators, citizens, our merchants and us. The central idea is: our box adapts to the local community.<\/p>\n

If all of these factors come together, then I firmly believe that our \u2018nahkauf Box\u2019 will be able to bring tremendous added value to the local rural community. What could be more motivating?<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Yours
\r\nFlorian S\u00f6rensen<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\n \"florian-soerensen\"\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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About:<\/h2>

\n Florian S\u00f6rensen <\/p>\n\n

National Head of Sales at nahkauf<\/p>\n \n

\n is National Head of Sales at nahkauf <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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About REWE Group<\/h2> <\/div>\n
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    The cooperatively organized REWE Group is one of the leading trade and tourism groups in Germany and Europe. In 2024, the company generated a total external turnover of more than 96 billion euros. Founded in 1927, REWE Group operates with around 380,000 employees in 21 European countries.<\/p>\n

    The sales lines include REWE, REWE CENTER, nahkauf and BILLA as well as BILLA PLUS and ADEG supermarkets and consumer stores, the discounter PENNY, IKI, the drugstores BIPA and the toom Baumarkt DIY stores. The company also operates convenience stores REWE To Go and the e-commerce activities REWE Liefer- and Abholservice as well as Zooroyal and Weinfreunde. The Lekkerland Group comprises the wholesale activities of the business group in the area of on-the-go consumption. Under the umbrella of DERTOUR Group, the Travel and Tourism division includes more than 2,000 travel agencies, tour operators as well as hotel brands and online travel portals.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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      Join the discussion on<\/h2>\n

      Our LinkedIn feed has all the latest information from the REWE Group and the sector, with the most important developments from the worlds of retail, e-commerce, food, CSR and policy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

      \n \n To LinkedIn feed <\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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      Florian S\u00f6rensen, National Head of Sales at nahkauf, talks about the great potential of the smart store concept \u2018nahkauf Box\u2019 for local supply nationwide.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":18757,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","nl_adhoc_sent":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"focus_theme":[142],"class_list":["post-18882","opinion","type-opinion","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-policy","focus_theme-undefined"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/opinion\/18882","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/opinion"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/opinion"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/opinion\/18882\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18893,"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/opinion\/18882\/revisions\/18893"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18757"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18882"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18882"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18882"},{"taxonomy":"focus_theme","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/focus_theme?post=18882"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}