ebl-naturkost
ebl-naturkost is a German regional organic grocery retailer operating 31 Bio-Fachmärkte and 17 cafés across Franconia, serving health-conscious consumers with 100% certified organic products sourced from over 500 regional farmers, including in-house butcher operations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersWeißenburg In Bayern, Germany
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What ebl-naturkost does
ebl-naturkost GmbH & Co. KG is a privately held German organic food retailer founded in 1994 by Gerhard Bickel and headquartered in Fürth, Bavaria. The company operates a regional chain of 31 Bio-Fachmärkte (organic specialty supermarkets) and 17 attached ebl-Cafés concentrated in the Nuremberg, Fürth, Erlangen, Bamberg, and Würzburg metropolitan area. Approximately 650 employees serve health-conscious consumers seeking 100% certified organic groceries, in-house butcher products, baked goods from regional partner bakeries, natural cosmetics, and household items, with selected stores also offering Unverpackt (package-free) bulk stations.
The core operating asset is the in-house ebl-Metzgerei in Fürth, which supplies all stores with fresh meat and sausages sourced exclusively from certified organic farms within roughly 130 km, and is itself Biokreis regional & fair certified. The company draws on a curated supplier network of over 500 regional farmers and producers within its ebl-Region ecosystem. Supporting technology is limited to a Shopware 6 marketing website with Google Analytics, CleverReach for newsletter marketing, and Google Maps-based store locators; there is no online shop, delivery, or click-and-collect capability. The customer engagement layer rests on the oekobonus loyalty program, where purchases earn "Bees" points that customers donate to vetted social and ecological projects, and on a multi-channel promotional cadence (weekly and monthly offers, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Xing, press relations).
ebl-naturkost generates revenue almost entirely through physical retail sales of certified organic products at standard unit pricing across its store network, with German VAT included and deposits added where applicable. Pricing follows a pay-as-you-go model with weekly and monthly promotional discounts. A secondary revenue stream is gift vouchers (ebl-Geschenkgutscheine), sold in-store and online for postal delivery and redeemable at any ebl-Biofachmarkt. The business is family-controlled via a GmbH & Co. KG structure with Gerhard Bickel GmbH as the managing partner, with no disclosed external equity or private equity backing.
ebl-naturkost firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ebl-naturkost
- Legal name
- ebl-naturkost GmbH & Co. KG
- Website
- https://ebl-naturkost.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- ebl-naturkost is a German regional organic grocery retailer operating 31 Bio-Fachmärkte and 17 cafés across Franconia, serving health-conscious consumers with 100% certified organic products sourced from over 500 regional farmers, including in-house butcher operations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ebl-naturkost industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Organic Grocery Retail
- NAICS
- Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), Grocery and Convenience Retailers (4451)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Natural/Organic Supermarkets & Chains (CRAHAEAA)
Keywords
Where ebl-naturkost is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Weißenburg In Bayern
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices17 records
Markets served
ebl-naturkost business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retail Sales of Organic Products: ebl-naturkost generates revenue through retail sales of 100% certified organic products across 31 physical store locations. The product range includes fresh produce, meat and sausages from their in-house butcher shop (ebl-Metzgerei), bakery products, natural cosmetics, and household goods. All prices include German VAT, with deposits added where applicable.
- Gift Vouchers: ebl-Geschenk-Gutscheine (gift vouchers) are sold both in-store and online. These vouchers can be redeemed in any ebl-Biofachmarkt. Online orders are shipped via postal service.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard retail pricing for grocery and household products |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels9 records
ebl-naturkost product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ebl-naturkost operates a regional chain of 31 brick-and-mortar organic specialty stores (Bio-Fachmärkte) plus 17 attached ebl-Cafés in the Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. The stores sell 100% certified organic food including fresh produce, in-house butcher products, bakery items, natural cosmetics, and household goods, sourced primarily from a network of 500+ regional farmers and producers within approximately 130 km of the Fürth headquarters.
Product overview
ebl-naturkost operates a network of 31 brick-and-mortar organic food supermarkets (Bio-Fachmärkte) under the ebl brand, primarily serving the greater Nuremberg metropolitan area in Bavaria, Germany. The company follows a multi-format retail model combining core supermarket operations with 17 attached ebl-Cafés, an in-house butcher shop (ebl-Metzgerei) in Fürth, and packaging-free bulk shopping stations in select locations. The product portfolio centers on 100% certified organic products spanning fresh produce, meat and sausages (produced in-house from regional organic farms), baked goods from partner organic bakeries, natural cosmetics, household products, and specialty items. Supporting services include a loyalty program (oekobonus) for collecting and donating points to social/environmental causes, gift vouchers, and weekly and monthly promotional offers. The company employs approximately 650 staff across stores and works with over 500 regional farmers and suppliers in its 'ebl-Region' network.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ebl-Bio-Fachmärkte (Organic Specialty Stores)
Quantifiable outcome
- 31 bio-fachmarkt locations with 17 ebl-Cafés serving the region
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use ebl-naturkost
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ebl-naturkost technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature1 record
ebl-naturkost partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Schule der Phantasie Fürth/Franken e. V.coreYouth art school receiving long-term sponsorship of €45,000 over three years (2025-2027, €15,000 annually) to support rent for new facilities in 'Haus der kulturellen Bildung' in Fürth city center.
- Regional Animal SheltersminorFour regional animal shelters received donations totaling €3,300 from oekobonus customer bee point conversions, distributed equally among beneficiaries.
- bluepingu e. V.minorNonprofit organization running the 'Lastenrad für alle' (cargo bike for all) project in Nuremberg. oekobonus customer donations funded 'AUDREY' cargo bike, with additional contribution from ebl-naturkost.
- OASE - Hilfe für Menschen in NotminorHumanitarian aid organization in Hersbruck. ebl-naturkost partnered with OASE and Helmut Wendler to send emergency relief truck with food and supplies to Ukraine border.
- CleverReach GmbH & Co. KGcoreNewsletter and email marketing service provider used for distributing promotional offers and company communications. Enables behavioral analysis, open rates, click tracking, and conversion tracking for marketing optimization.
- Bundesverband Naturkost Naturwaren e.V. (BNN)coreIndustry association for organic and natural products. ebl-naturkost maintains certified product range verified by BNN.
- Polarstern EnergieminorRenewable energy provider. All ebl-markets use green electricity (Ökostrom) supplied by Polarstern Energie.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
ebl-naturkost competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Naturkost West: Regional organic supermarket operator with multiple locations in North Rhine-Westphalia and Western Germany. Comparable regional-scale Bio-Supermarkt chain with similar full-format organic retail model and customer base.
- LPG Biomarkt: Independent German organic supermarket group/affiliation of multiple regional Bio-Märkte across various German states, sharing procurement and brand standards. Comparable regional organic retailer model with a focus on independent Bio-Supermarkt operations.
Direct peers
- Denn's Biomarkt: Austrian-headquartered organic supermarket chain (part of Dennree Group) operating 300+ stores across Germany, Austria, and other DACH markets. Direct full-format organic retail competitor with a similar Bio-Supermarkt concept and integrated café formats.
- Reformhaus: Long-established German specialty retailer chain (~1,000+ stores) focused on natural foods, dietary products, and natural cosmetics. Adjacent specialty natural-food retail format with similar organic/natural assortment and customer demographic overlap.
- Bio Company: Berlin-based organic supermarket chain operating ~50+ Bio-Supermärkte across Germany, with strong regional concentration in the capital and Northern Germany. Closely comparable full-format organic retailer with similar product breadth and in-store café models.
- SuperBiomarkt: German organic supermarket chain with stores primarily in North Rhine-Westphalia and other Western German regions, operating ~20+ stores. Comparable mid-sized Bio-Supermarkt chain with similar product range and 100% organic positioning.
- Basic Bio: Northern German organic supermarket chain (Hamburg-based) operating ~25+ Bio-Supermärkte with full assortment of organic groceries, fresh produce, natural cosmetics, and bulk stations. Comparable regional-scale Bio-Supermarkt operator with similar full-format retail approach.
- Alnatura: Germany's largest organic supermarket chain with ~140+ stores, founded 1987. Alnatura is the national-scale direct competitor to ebl-naturkost with overlapping assortment (100% certified organic, fresh produce, natural cosmetics, in-house brands) and similar full-format Bio-Supermarkt concept.
- VollCorner Bio: Munich-based regional organic supermarket chain with multiple locations in Upper Bavaria, founded in 1987. Closely comparable to ebl-naturkost as a Bavarian regional organic chain with attached café/bistro concepts and regional supplier focus.
Broad incumbents
- tegut: German food retailer (subsidiary of Migros) operating ~300 stores across Hesse, Bavaria, Thuringia, and Lower Saxony with a strong focus on organic and sustainable assortment (gute-serie private label). Larger incumbent retailer with significant organic positioning that competes with ebl-naturkost in overlapping Franconian/Bavarian catchments.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ebl-naturkost social profiles
Digital presenceebl-naturkost compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
ebl-naturkost financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ebl-naturkost leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
ebl-naturkost funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ebl-naturkost M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ebl-naturkost
What does ebl-naturkost do?
ebl-naturkost operates a regional chain of 31 brick-and-mortar organic specialty stores (Bio-Fachmärkte) plus 17 attached ebl-Cafés in the Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. The stores sell 100% certified organic food including fresh produce, in-house butcher products, bakery items, natural cosmetics, and household goods, sourced primarily from a network of 500+ regional farmers and producers within approximately 130 km of the Fürth headquarters.
Is ebl-naturkost a public or private company?
ebl-naturkost is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was ebl-naturkost founded?
ebl-naturkost was founded in 1994. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is ebl-naturkost based?
ebl-naturkost is headquartered in Weißenburg In Bayern, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does ebl-naturkost make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Retail Sales of Organic Products are the primary driver. The others are gift Vouchers.
Who are ebl-naturkost's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Naturkost West and LPG Biomarkt. Direct peers are Denn's Biomarkt, Reformhaus, Bio Company, SuperBiomarkt, Basic Bio, Alnatura and VollCorner Bio. tegut is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does ebl-naturkost have an API?
No public API is recorded for ebl-naturkost.
What industry is ebl-naturkost in?
ebl-naturkost's product category is Organic Grocery Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHAEAA, Natural/Organic Supermarkets & Chains. Its NAICS code is 44529 and its SIC code is 5810.