“Local supply infrastructure in rural areas needs smart solutions”

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 ‘nahkauf Box’ 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.

The ‘nahkauf Box’ 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.

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 – at the local authority’s suggestion – 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 ‘nahkauf Box’ literally brings people together, because – just like a regular supermarket – 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 ‘nahkauf Box’ not only a success but also a project dear to people’s hearts.

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.

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. To ensure that shopping at a ‘nahkauf Box’ remains a sustainable, long-term and economical option – which is always the greatest challenge with this kind of project – we want to define initial main factors for success, based on our experience.

The first of these include creating clear and reliable framework conditions and ensuring legal certainty for innovative solutions of this kind – 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 ‘nahkauf Box’.

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.

If all of these factors come together, then I firmly believe that our ‘nahkauf Box’ will be able to bring tremendous added value to the local rural community. What could be more motivating?