Retail: Hot counters and snack bars in stores are booming
Classic gastronomy is in crisis in many places and is losing customers. Nevertheless, people are eating. Many people are increasingly buying their meals elsewhere, for example when they do their weekly shopping.
The German retail gastronomy sector has achieved a record turnover of 13.3 billion euros in 2025, a 7.1% increase from the previous year, according to a study by the EHI Retail Institute. This represents a 33% increase since 2019, driven by higher customer traffic and prices. The sector is expected to continue growing in 2026. Popular items include meatballs, currywurst, and sandwiches, with most sales occurring during lunch and often take-away.
Many retailers, including Ikea and Rewe, operate their own gastronomy areas, while others use food trucks or test kitchen robots.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
