VLG Großverbraucherdienst Südwest

What VLG Großverbraucherdienst Südwest does

VLG Großverbraucherdienst Südwest GmbH is a Saarbrücken-based, family-owned food wholesaler serving professional foodservice customers in western Germany and adjacent cross-border markets. The company operates two cash-and-carry locations under the c-gro brand (Saarbrücken and Trier) and runs a delivery business on fixed route plans that covers Saarland, Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg, France and Luxembourg. Its assortment spans approximately 25,000 articles across fresh, frozen, deli, meat, fish, wine and bakery categories, organized under specialist sub-brands including Piemonte (wine), Feinkost Cremona (fine foods) and VLG Fleischwaren (meat products).

The company runs an in-house B2B e-commerce platform, the IGON Shop, which provides professional customers with product availability, themed catalogs, favorites and recurring-order management, and data import/export for procurement workflows. The technology stack is a standard content-managed e-commerce site (WordPress-based per the vlggvd.de domain), with no disclosed AI/ML, API, SDK or advanced automation capabilities; its competitive value lies in operational features for ordering and inventory management rather than software innovation.

VLG makes money primarily by selling wholesale food and beverage products to professional kitchens, hotels, restaurants, caterers and institutional buyers (canteens, schools, hospitals, care facilities), supplemented by cash-and-carry counter sales at the c-gro stores. Wholesale pricing is individually negotiated, quoted ex-VAT and explicitly non-binding, with billing on a pay-as-you-go basis and packaging charged separately. Go-to-market is sales-led, combining an outside-sales force covering five territories, a B2B web shop, physical cash-and-carry stores, thematic print/digital catalogs (e.g., Image Brochure 2026, pizzeria and WM 2026 campaigns), trade-show presence (EGAST Strasbourg) and social channels (Facebook, Instagram). The company is privately held under the Hempel family (managing directors: Thomas, Katharina and Lena Hempel, together with Ralf Schneider), with no disclosed external investors or revenue figures.

Name

VLG Großverbraucherdienst Südwest

Legal name

VLG Großverbraucherdienst Südwest GmbH

Website

https://vlggvd.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1864

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

VLG Großverbraucherdienst Südwest GmbH is a Saarbrücken-based, family-owned food wholesaler serving professional kitchens, hotels, restaurants, caterers and institutional buyers in western Germany, France and Luxembourg via two c-gro cash-and-carry stores, a delivery fleet and the IGON B2B web shop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Saarbrücken

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Food Product Wholesale Distribution: VLG sells food and food service products (fresh, frozen, deli, meat, wine, etc.) to professional customers including restaurants, hotels, caterers, and institutional kitchens. Revenue is generated through product sales across approximately 25,000 articles, with deliveries made via fixed route plans from logistics operations.
2. Cash-and-Carry Retail (c-gro): Physical cash-and-carry wholesale locations (c-gro Saarbrücken and c-gro Trier) allow customers to purchase products directly on-site, complementing the delivery business.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

VLG Großverbraucherdienst Südwest is a regional food wholesaler that supplies approximately 25,000 food and beverage articles (fresh, frozen, meat, delicatessen, fish, wine, bakery) to professional foodservice customers. Distribution runs through two cash-and-carry wholesale stores (c-gro Saarbrücken and c-gro Trier), fixed-route delivery across Saarland, Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg, France and Luxembourg, and the IGON B2B online ordering platform, supplemented by specialized sub-brands for wine (Piemonte), fine foods (Cremona) and meat (Fleischwaren).

Product overview

VLG Großverbraucherdienst Südwest is a food wholesale company serving professional customers in the catering, restaurant, and institutional food service sectors. The company operates two retail locations (c-gro Saarbrücken and c-gro Trier), complemented by the IGON-Shop online ordering platform. The portfolio includes specialized sub-brands: Cremona (fine foods), Piemonte (wine house), and Fleischwaren (meat products). The company serves customers across Saarland, Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg, France, and Luxembourg, offering approximately 25,000 articles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• c-gro: Retail store brand for C+C Großhandel (cash and carry wholesale) operations in Saarbrücken and Trier
• Piemonte
• Cremona
• Fleischwaren

Products and services

• c-gro Saarbrücken Cash-and-Carry Wholesale Store Physical cash-and-carry wholesale location at Str.d.13.J 12-14, 66121 Saarbrücken, open Mon-Fri 06:00-18:30 and Sat 07:00-14:00, selling food service products to professional customers. Managed by Michael Wirbel.
• c-gro Trier Cash-and-Carry Wholesale Store Physical cash-and-carry wholesale location at Metternichstraße 48, 54292 Trier, open Mon-Fri 07:00-18:00 and Sat 07:30-13:00, serving professional customers in the Trier region. Managed by Stanislav Klimek.
• IGON B2B Web Shop B2B online ordering platform offering current offers and themed recommendations, product catalog browsing, favorites and recurring order lists, business data import and order list export for inventory management.
• Piemonte (Weinhaus / Wine) Wine house sub-brand operated by Piemonte GmbH within the VLG group, specializing in wines for professional gastronomy customers.
• Cremona (Feinkost / Fine Foods) Fine food and delicatessen product line operated by Feinkost Cremona GmbH within the VLG group.
• Fleischwaren (Meat Products) Meat and butchery products division operated by VLG Fleischwaren GmbH within the VLG group.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• PfalzgrafminorOthersPfalzgraf is a supplier partner offering high-quality meat products. VLG features Pfalzgraf as part of its product range for professional gastronomy customers.
• Salomon FoodWorldminorOthersSalomon FoodWorld is featured as a partner on VLG's website, offering products aimed at helping gastronomy businesses delight guests.
• Unilever Food SolutionsminorOthersUnilever Food Solutions is listed as a partner brand on VLG's website, providing branded food service ingredients and solutions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Transgourmet Deutschland: One of Germany's largest broadline foodservice distributors and cash-and-carry operators (owned by Coop Group). Directly comparable to VLG across broadline assortment, delivery routes, and cash-and-carry (C+C) locations serving HoReCa and institutional customers.
• CHEF'S CULINAR: Major German cash-and-carry foodservice specialist delivering to hotels, restaurants, and caterers nationwide. Highly comparable multi-category assortment model and C+C format mirrors VLG's c-gro operations.
• EDEKA Foodservice: German broadline foodservice distributor serving the same HoReCa and institutional customer segments via cash-and-carry and delivery. Direct competitor in regional wholesale distribution.
• Handelshof: Regional German cash-and-carry foodservice wholesaler with multi-state operations. Closely comparable business model of C+C stores plus delivery to professional kitchens.
• FrischeParadies: German specialty cash-and-carry focused on premium fresh, gourmet, and fine foods for professional kitchens. Comparable to VLG's Cremona fine foods sub-brand and c-gro cash-and-carry model.
• GVS Holding (GourmetVending & Systemgastronomie): German cash-and-carry and delivery foodservice distributor serving HoReCa in southwestern Germany. Highly comparable regional broadline foodservice competitor to VLG with overlapping customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Metro AG: Germany's largest cash-and-carry and broadline foodservice group with national and international footprint. Overlaps with VLG across broadline assortment and C+C format but operates at a vastly larger scale with broader customer segments.
• REWE Foodservice: Foodservice arm of the REWE Group, delivering to gastronomy, communal catering, and independent retailers. Operates in the same broadline foodservice category with far greater scale.
• Sysco Corporation: Global broadline foodservice market leader. While US-focused, it represents the strategic broadline foodservice model (multi-category assortment, route delivery, digital ordering) that VLG competes against at a much smaller scale.

Regional players

• Boё France: French broadline foodservice distributor serving restaurants and catering across France. Operates in the same broadline foodservice category as VLG but is primarily a French regional player rather than competing directly in Germany.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cgrosaarbruecken
• Instagraminstagram.com/cgro.saarbruecken

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about VLG Großverbraucherdienst Südwest