Home » Latest News » Business » Migros Zürich Exits German Market with €600M Loss | Tegut Sale to Edeka

Migros Zürich Exits German Market with €600M Loss | Tegut Sale to Edeka

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  • Die Genossenschaft Migros Zürich zieht sich aus dem deutschen Markt zurück.
  • Sie verkauft wesentliche Teile ihrer Bio-Supermarktkette Tegut an Deutschlands grössten Lebensmittelhändler Edeka.
  • Ziel sei es, möglichst viele Arbeitsplätze zu sichern und Filialen weiterzuführen, teilte die Migros Zürich mit.
  • Der Rückzug kostet die Genossenschaft allein 2025 rund 270 Millionen Euro.

Die finanziellen Folgen der Transaktion sollen im Jahresabschluss 2025 sichtbar werden, den Migros Zürich am 24. März vorlegen will. Die Gesamtabwicklung führt zu ausserordentlichen Aufwänden, die das Ergebnis von Migros Zürich und der Migros-Gruppe belasten werden.

Insgesamt belaufen sich die Verluste seit der Übernahme von Tegut im Jahr 2013 bis zum Verkauf auf maximal 600 Millionen Euro. Über den Verkaufspreis vereinbarten die Parteien Stillschweigen. Die Übernahme steht noch unter dem Vorbehalt der Zustimmung des deutschen Bundeskartellamts.

Die Entscheidung, Tegut zu veräussern, ist uns äusserst schwergefallen.

Mit dem Schritt beendet die grösste Migros-Genossenschaft ihr Deutschland-Engagement nach rund 14 Jahren. Auslöser war eine strategische Neubewertung im Zuge der seit Jahren dauernden Tegut-Sanierung, wie aus einer Mitteilung der Migros Zürich hervorgeht.

Legende: Die Migros Zürich übernahm Tegut 2013, um im grössten europäischen Detailhandelsmarkt Fuss zu fassen. Keystone/Patrick B. Kramer

«Die Entscheidung, Tegut zu veräussern, ist uns äusserst schwergefallen», said Migros-Zürich CEO Patrik Pörtig in a statement. An analysis, however, clearly showed that a complete sale offered the best long-term perspective for all parties involved.

Cost-cutting measures reduced the operating loss in 2025 to 26 million Swiss francs, down from 55 million francs the previous year. Simultaneously, the market environment in Germany continued to worsen, and sales declined.

Under these conditions, Tegut was deemed economically unsustainable in the long term with its current positioning and relatively small size, according to the Migros statement.

Over 7,400 Employees Affected

A contract for the acquisition of a substantial portion of the Tegut Group by Edeka has already been signed. This includes a large part of the branch network with its sales staff, the logistics center in Michelsrombach, the Herzberger bakery, and the operator of the Teo locations in Germany.

Frau ordnet Gemüse in einem Supermarkt.
Legende: Of the over 7,400 employees, the future remains uncertain for those in the headquarters, logistics, and Herzberger bakery. Keystone/Mario Vedder

The deal affects over 7,400 employees across 340 stores, the logistics center, and the headquarters in Fulda, Germany. Jobs in the stores are expected to be preserved, Migros Zürich stated.

However, it remains unclear how many employees from the headquarters, logistics, and Herzberger bakery will continue to be employed.

Negotiations with Rewe

Migros Zürich is likewise conducting further talks to find solutions for as many remaining locations as possible. Discussions are currently underway with German retail group Rewe regarding a second package, according to a Migros-Zürich spokesperson.

Migros and Germany: A Series of Failures

Box aufklappen Box zuklappen

The German bio-supermarket chain Tegut represents Migros Zürich’s biggest debacle abroad to date. But previous Migros ventures into Germany have also fallen short.

Stores: A first attempt to establish a presence in Germany with its own supermarkets had already failed. The expansion of Migros Basel resulted in losses, and several locations performed poorly. The four stores in Lörrach, Freiburg im Breisgau, Ludwigsburg and Ludwigshafen, as well as 220 employees, were acquired by German Rewe Group in 2013.

Aciso Fitness: In 2012, Migros Zürich entered the international fitness business by acquiring German Aciso Fitness & Health. However, the COVID-19 pandemic put significant pressure on the business. In 2022, Migros Zürich sold the group back to financial investor Lafayette Mittelstand Capital.

Gries Deco/Depot: In 2009, the Migros Group acquired a majority stake in German Gries Deco Company, which operated the now-insolvent furniture chain Depot, among others. The investment, however, developed disappointingly. Ten years later, Migros withdrew and sold its stake in the company with 500 locations – including 38 in Switzerland – to the previous CEO and minority shareholder Christian Gries. According to media reports, the retailer had to write off around 400 million Swiss francs.

Galaxus Germany: The online retailer Galaxus is also reporting losses in the German market. The Migros subsidiary has been active there since 2018 and is investing heavily in growth. In 2023, Galaxus Germany recorded a loss of over 61 million euros with a turnover of 287 million euros, after a loss of around 49 million euros in the previous year. Migros described the losses as typical start-up investments when entering a market.

Alnatura: The reverse path – from Germany to Switzerland – has also not worked with Alnatura: From 2012, Migros Zürich operated around 25 bio-supermarkets in Switzerland as a franchisee of the German bio-chain Alnatura. In 2025, the cooperative decided not to renew the franchise agreement and to focus more on its own distribution channels. A new operator could not be found – all stores were closed by the end of 2025. However, Alnatura products will remain available in the Migros range.

Tegut had long been a concern for Migros. Originally, Migros Zürich set a deadline of the end of 2026 for the chronically loss-making retailer. If the German subsidiary generated a profit by then, it would have a future – otherwise not, it was said previously.

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