Rewe weighs 25 percent stake in loss-making M-Preis

German retail group Rewe is considering acquiring a roughly 25 percent stake in loss-making Tyrolean supermarket chain M-Preis, ORF Tirol reported on Friday, citing Lebensmittelzeitung. Rewe is reportedly in advanced talks with the Mölk family, which owns the company.

The investment could strengthen Rewe’s position in the Tyrolean market. M-Preis is currently the region’s market leader, followed by Spar and Rewe subsidiary Billa.

M-Preis, which operates around 270 stores, has been seeking investors since March. The independent full-range retailer, with about 5,100 employees, came under financial pressure after the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the latest figures available from Austria’s commercial register, M-Preis posted a loss of 7.3 million euros in 2024 on net sales of around 907 million euros. Its losses had been in the double-digit millions in each of the previous two years.

M-Preis confirmed to the Austrian Press Agency that talks were under way but said it could not comment on how advanced they were. According to Lebensmittelzeitung, other scenarios are also possible, including dividing the stores among several retailers.