Shelf-ready packs for retail category buyers
Show the consumer pack, shelf life and label. Ask how the buyer reviews a new listing.
Food importers and distributors in Germany
For owners & export directors at food producers
We arrange meetings with German food buyers for manufacturers. Pick your product category to choose a buyer route.
In short
Food importers and distributors in Germany buy food from producers abroad. They sell it on to shops, restaurants and factories. The main buyers are Edeka, Rewe and Schwarz Group. The channels that matter are Discount, Convenience, Feinkost (delicatessen) and HoReCa. HoReCa means hotels, restaurants and catering. Germany is the largest food import market in the EU (industry estimates).
How to find food importers and distributors in Germany
Food importers and distributors in Germany buy food from producers abroad. They sell it on to shops, restaurants and factories. The channels that matter in Germany are Discount, Convenience, Feinkost (delicatessen) and HoReCa. HoReCa means hotels, restaurants and catering. We publish 10 category guides for Germany, one per product group.
Germany is the largest food import market in the EU. It is also the biggest export target for Polish and Central-European producers. A few groups run most of grocery: Edeka, Rewe, the Schwarz Group (Lidl, Kaufland) and Aldi. Hard discount is a channel of its own. So the people who decide are a small, findable group. They are the category buyers and the distributors who serve them. You can reach them directly, without waiting for a fair. German buyers expect exact specifications, steady supply and clean paperwork before a first meeting.
Who buys food in Germany
These are the groups a buyer conversation usually starts from. We book meetings with the people inside them.
| Edeka | Largest grocery group — full-range supermarkets + Netto discount |
|---|---|
| Rewe | Full-range supermarkets + Penny discount |
| Schwarz Group | Lidl (hard discount) + Kaufland (hypermarkets) |
| Aldi (Nord / Süd) | Hard discount — a channel of its own in Germany |
| Metro | Cash-and-carry wholesale — the way into restaurants, hotels and independent shops |
Channels that matterDiscount · Convenience · Feinkost (delicatessen) · HoReCa
- Germany is the largest food import market in the EU (industry estimates).
- The four biggest grocery groups — Edeka, Rewe, the Schwarz Group and Aldi — hold roughly three-quarters of grocery sales (industry estimates).
- Private label is around a third of German grocery — a direct route in for producers who supply own-brand.
Choose a German buyer channel by product format
Start with how your product is packed, stored and used. Then choose the buyer type that can handle it.
Foodservice packs for wholesale buyers
Show the case size and kitchen use. Ask which customer groups the wholesaler supplies.
Specialist ranges for importers or delicatessen distributors
Show what makes the range distinct. Ask where the importer already sells similar products.
Product and country guides
Prepare one product brief for Germany
Use one page per product range. Make it easy to check the pack and the supply plan.
Product and pack
Include a product photo, ingredients, allergens, net weight, case size and storage needs.
Label and shelf life
Attach current label artwork, nutrition details and the date mark. Check the language for German consumers.
Supply and packaging roles
State production capacity and dispatch point. Agree who is responsible for packaging obligations in Germany.
Compare possible partners with the Distributor assessment worksheet.
Official guidance for your product brief
Before you approach German buyers
Use the first call to decide which buyer meetings fit your product and your team.
Choose the first product and buyer type
Tell us which range you want to sell first. We can discuss whether retail, foodservice, or specialist buyers fit it.
Name your existing partners
Tell us where you already sell and which companies we should exclude. This keeps your current relationships clear.
Check who can take the next step
Decide who can join buyer calls, answer product questions, and follow up with a quote or samples.
Product categories we cover in Germany
Each guide names the buyers, what they check before a listing, and how the trade is organised.
Bakery & Pastry importers & distributors
German bakery demand runs on distributors, industrial bakeries and in-store bakery programmes. Many of them buy part-baked bread that the shop finishes in its own oven (bake-off). You can reach this buyer set directly, instead of waiting for iba or südback.Beverages importers & distributors
Germany moves drinks in a way almost no other country does. Beverage specialist wholesalers (Getränkefachgroßhandel) feed both the drinks-market shelf and the bars and restaurants. Deposit and reusable-bottle rules decide who can play at all.Confectionery & Snacks importers & distributors
German sweets and snacks run on scale and on a calendar. Discounters carry permanent and seasonal ranges, and importers fill the specialty shelf. Some own-brand (private label) programmes are bigger than a whole factory's yearly production. ISM, the world's largest sweets fair, takes place in Germany.Dairy & Cheese importers & distributors
Germany is the largest dairy market in the EU. It makes a lot of milk itself, but it still buys imported cheese, butter and dairy specialities. Importers, supermarket buyers, catering firms and food factories all buy them.Fine Foods & Delicatessen importers & distributors
Delicatessen (Feinkost) is a German institution. It runs from the KaDeWe food halls to the counters at premium Edeka and Rewe. The wholesalers behind them supply the whole trade. These buyers want special imported products with a story. We approach them in German.Frozen Food importers & distributors
Germany is the natural first stop for frozen producers. The volume is huge and the frozen distributors and discounters are few. Ready-meal makers buy frozen vegetables and semi-finished goods by the pallet, all year.Meat & Charcuterie importers & distributors
Germany is Europe's biggest meat market, and its buyers are a set you can name. Importers and wholesalers with their own cold transport buy, and so do category buyers at the chains and discounters. So do suppliers to hotels, restaurants and catering (HoReCa), and processors who take cuts as an input. You can reach each of them directly, in German.Organic & Health Food importers & distributors
German organic buyers serve specialist shops, supermarkets and professional kitchens. Match the product, pack and certificate to the channel before choosing whom to approach.Preserves & Canned Foods importers & distributors
Canned vegetables and fruit, pickles, jams and jarred meals sell in big volumes in Germany. A small set of importers, shelf buyers and own-brand (private label) programmes controls that shelf. Central-European producers fit it well.Sauces, Condiments & Spices importers & distributors
Germany's condiment shelf is two markets at once. One is a fast-growing world-food aisle that wants authentic sauces. The other is the ambient shelf, where own-brand (private label) rules. We reach the buyers behind both, in German.
Your product category is not listed for Germany?
That does not mean no. A guide goes live only when we know that trade well. We open new markets and categories all the time. Ask us, and you will get a straight answer about whether we can help.
Find your buyersSee if there are buyers for your productReady to meet Germany's food buyers?
Book a 30-minute First call. We look at your products and your buyers. If we can’t help, we’ll say so.
Find your buyersSee if there are buyers for your productFixed fee — no commission · First meetings 2–3 weeks after we start writing · Min. 10 buyer meetings in your first project, guaranteed
Reviewed by the ProspectX export team, led by founder Casper Morawski (LinkedIn) · Last reviewed October 2026.