German supermarkets reward those who know where to look. Beyond the standard grocery run, each chain has particular products, sourcing relationships, and quality tiers that experienced shoppers know to seek out.
REWE: The Reliable All-Rounder
REWE’s REWE Beste Wahl (Best Choice) and REWE Bio lines offer good quality at mid-market prices. The REWE fish counter in larger stores often sources from day boats — arriving Thursday and Friday with fresh catch. REWE regularly collaborates with regional producers for limited-edition local products: Bavarian cheese, regional sausages, and seasonal produce that is not available in Aldi or Lidl. The REWE market in Hamburg Alsterhaus, and the large REWE in Berlin Mitte, function almost as food halls. REWE’s own-brand wine selection has become surprisingly competitive — the Rioja and Burgundy own-brand bottles are regularly praised by wine enthusiasts for their value.
Aldi (Nord and Süd): The Underrated Quality
Aldi’s own-brand products frequently outscore branded equivalents in blind taste tests — the Aldi olive oil, the Aldi chocolate (particularly the dark chocolate with sea salt), and the Aldi speciality cheese selection (which rotates with themed weeks) are examples. The Aldi Süd “Special Buys” (Aktionsware) — weekly non-food items — have a cult following in Germany. Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd operate separately (the split happened in 1961 following a family disagreement) and have slightly different ranges north and south of the Ruhr.
Lidl: The Wine Selection
Lidl Germany has built the strongest own-brand wine range in German discount retail, working directly with established wineries in France, Italy, and Spain. Lidl’s biannual Weinwelt (wine world) events bring 60–100 wines to stores at prices from €3 to €30, many from producers with genuine credentials. The Lidl mobile app enables wine-by-region searches and shows the current event dates. Lidl also runs well-regarded seafood specials — particularly the Norwegian salmon and the seasonal shellfish promotions.
