Bundeskartellamt approves takeover of 36 Tegut stores by Tante Enso

Tante Enso: small company with a concept

At the same time, it could secure local supply in the affected regions. The stores are open around the clock, with staff on site only at certain times. With this concept, Tante Enso aims primarily to reach places where classical full-range retailers are absent or find it difficult to operate economically.

The previous Tegut owner Migros had announced in March that it would withdraw from Germany and sell the chain. In early 2013, Migros took over the chain, which operates in six federal states and was founded in 1947 in Fulda. According to Migros, there are a total of around 340 Tegut stores, including 40 mini-markets under the "Teo" brand.

Background: Sale of the Tegut chain

The food retailer Edeka wants to take over around 200 Tegut supermarkets, while the Rewe Group plans to acquire up to 40 stores. These transactions are also subject to antitrust review. In the Rewe case, the deadline for the main investigation procedure runs until the end of September. Exactly which locations go to which buyer has not yet been finally determined.

Most Tegut stores are located in Hesse, with around 30 stores in Thuringia. Tante Enso is already present in Thuringia: for example, there is a store in Zella in the Rhön in the Wartburg district, and another location is being built in Gumpelstadt. Tegut employs just under 7,500 people.

What does the approval mean for the regions?

The Tegut brand is to disappear from the market in the medium term. The locations will continue to operate under the names of the new operators. This brings an end to almost 80 years of history for the traditional Hessian food chain, which was once positioned as a regional alternative to the major chains.

Through the deal, Tante Enso gains access to significantly larger sales areas than before. The concept of semi-automated mini-supermarkets is to be tested in the acquired stores in the future and adapted to the respective region. Observers see the move as an important expansion of its commitment in eastern and central Germany.

The cartel office also justified its approval on the grounds that the takeover would not create a dominant market position. In the affected regions, supply has so far been shaped by a few large providers, so the market entry of an additional competitor is to be assessed as positive for competition.

Overall, it is evident that the German food retail sector is realigning: while Edeka and Rewe are expanding their position through the acquisition of Tegut locations, Tante Enso is positioning itself as a complementary provider across the country. Consumers will likely only experience concretely in the coming months how the offering at the respective locations will change.

The competition authority reserves the right to continue monitoring developments in the affected regions. If Tante Enso's market position changes noticeably as a result of the acquired store network, subsequent proceedings could follow.

The final antitrust decision on the Edeka and Rewe takeovers is still pending. Only once all three proceedings have been completed will it become clear under which operators the former Tegut stores will be run in the future.