Kaufland will open its marketplace to consumers in France and Italy by the end of the summer. “We are the alternative to global ecommerce giants, from Europe for Europe. With that goal in mind, we are now taking the next two steps – certainly not the last”, according to Gerald Schönbucher, CEO of Kaufland e-commerce.
With this expansion, the marketplace will be active in seven European countries. For its internationalization strategy, the company is using its “all-in-one solution Kaufland Global Marketplace”.
Kaufland Marketplace
Kaufland, originally a hypermarket chain in Germany, launched its marketplace four years ago, shortly after its owner the Schwarz Group acquired Real.de. The platform expanded to Slovakia and the Czech Republic in 2023, followed by Austria and Poland last year.
This summer, two major markets will be added: “With France and Italy, we are entering the third- and fourth-largest ecommerce markets in Europe”, Schönbucher explains. “Their impressive ecommerce turnover gives us the opportunity to become the largest European online platform.”
‘We can become Europe’s largest platform’
Kaufland is positioning itself explicitly as a European alternative to broad marketplaces from other continents, including Amazon, Alibaba, and the rapidly expanding Temu.
‘Security guaranteed’
Kaufland emphasizes its strict compliance with European regulations and guarantees data and product safety for its customers. Schönbucher states: “Our commitment to quality and integrity ensures that our customers can shop with peace of mind, and that our retailers can sell successfully.”
To catch up with dominant platforms, Kaufland – a sister company of Lidl – still has a long road ahead. The company reports 7.85 percent gross merchandise value growth in 2024 across all marketplace countries, without mentioning specific amounts.
Cross-border fulfillment
Earlier this year, Kaufland decided to discontinue Fulfillment by Kaufland (FBK). The platform is now working with an international multichannel alternative, “even better tailored to the needs of our merchants and the conditions of international ecommerce, enabling more successful and sustainable international growth”.
