Lebensmittel Zeitung

What Lebensmittel Zeitung does

Lebensmittel Zeitung (LZ) is a Frankfurt-based B2B trade publication for the German food retail and consumer goods industry, founded in 1948 and operated by Deutscher Fachverlag GmbH as the flagship title within a group that publishes over 100 trade titles across 17 industries. LZ serves executives, managers and decision-makers in food retail (supermarkets, discounters, hypermarkets) and consumer goods manufacturing, with a secondary audience of retail and CPG job seekers using the LZ Jobs marketplace. Its core product is a weekly print newspaper supported by a digital subscription, E-Paper on iOS and Android, daily newsletters, podcasts, and LinkedIn distribution; the portfolio extends into vertical sub-brands (LZ direkt for point-of-sale professionals, LZ NONFOOD for the nonfood segment), proprietary data tools (LZ StoreTracker tracking German retail footprint changes, LZ Datenmonitor publishing energy, raw material, logistics and economic indicators), a products-and-promotions directory marketplace, and a large annual events franchise comprising congresses (Retail Media Day, AI Day, Health Day, Private Label Day, Molkerei Kongress, Getränkekongress, Nonfood Kongress), award galas (Goldener Zuckerhut, Supermarkt Stars, Top-Marke), and a training forum (LZ Bildungsforum).

The business is monetized through seven interlocking revenue streams: print subscriptions at €529/year, digital subscriptions at €629/year, a combined Print+Digital bundle at €759/year, multi-seat corporate licenses sold by a dedicated inside-sales team, advertising on owned properties, event ticket and sponsorship revenue across the congress and award portfolio, and a digital upgrade path for existing print subscribers at €230/year. GTM is predominantly sales-led, combining direct subscription acquisition through the website, corporate outbound for multi-seat licenses, and event-driven community engagement. The publication is privately held, with no external funding rounds, no public listing, and no disclosed revenue figures; the headcount band is 501–1,000 employees concentrated at the Frankfurt headquarters of the parent company. The competitive position rests on 70-plus years of editorial heritage, a self-described status as the leading trade and business newspaper of the German consumer goods industry, an extensive archive of investigative journalism, and a multi-product ecosystem that binds the professional community via data tools, awards, and live events.

Name

Lebensmittel Zeitung

Legal name

Deutscher Fachverlag GmbH

Website

http://www.lebensmittelzeitung.net/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Lebensmittel Zeitung is Germany's leading B2B trade newspaper for the food retail and consumer goods industry, offering a weekly print edition, digital and E-Paper subscriptions, proprietary data tools, and a portfolio of industry congresses and awards serving retail and CPG executives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Publishing / B2B Media

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM)

Keywords

• B2B trade publication
• Consumer goods journalism
• Food retail news
• FMCG industry media
• Trade publishing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Print Subscription: Weekly print edition of the Lebensmittel Zeitung trade publication delivered to subscribers in Germany. Annual subscription model with auto-renewal.
2. Digital Subscription: Online access to all articles, E-paper editions, newsletters, and rankings through lebensmittelzeitung.net. Available in monthly and annual subscription tiers.
3. Combined Print + Digital Subscription: Bundled subscription offering both print and digital access at a discounted rate compared to separate subscriptions.
4. Multi-person/Corporate Licenses: Company licenses allowing multiple employees access to digital content with centralized account management.
5. Advertising: Advertising and sponsorship opportunities on the website, in print editions, and at events.
6. Event Tickets and Sponsorship: Revenue from industry events including congresses, coffee breaks, and award ceremonies such as Goldener Zuckerhut, LZ Nonfood Kongress, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Lebensmittel Zeitung is a B2B trade newspaper and digital media brand for the German food retail and consumer goods industry, delivered as a weekly print edition, a paid digital subscription (LZ Digital) with E-Paper access, daily newsletters, podcasts and a portfolio of paid industry congresses, award ceremonies and data tools (LZ StoreTracker, LZ Datenmonitor). Its audience comprises executives and decision-makers in supermarkets, discounters, hypermarkets, food and beverage producers, packaged goods companies and suppliers, who use the publication for industry news, market analysis, competitive intelligence, recruitment (LZ Jobs) and networking at events.

Product overview

Lebensmittel Zeitung (LZ) is a leading B2B trade publication for the German food retail and consumer goods industry, published weekly in print with a comprehensive digital ecosystem. The core offering consists of the print newspaper and LZ Digital subscription, supplemented by the E-Paper app for mobile access. The LZ portfolio includes specialized vertical offerings such as LZ direkt (POS-focused content) and LZ NONFOOD (nonfood segment coverage), supported by analytical tools like LZ StoreTracker (retail network monitoring) and LZ Datenmonitor (industry data). The company operates an extensive events business comprising multiple annual congresses (Retail Media Day, Getränkekongress, AI Day, Health Day, Molkerei Kongress, Nonfood Kongress), award ceremonies (Supermarkt Stars, Goldener Zuckerhut), and training forums (Bildungsforum). Additional services include the LZ Jobs career portal, the Produkte & Promotions product showcase, and multi-seat corporate licenses for enterprise teams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lebensmittel Zeitung Print Weekly print trade newspaper for the German food retail and consumer goods industry, providing exclusive news, investigative journalism and in-depth industry analysis for executives in supermarkets, discounters, hypermarkets and FMCG companies.
• LZ Digital Subscription Paid digital subscription giving online access to all LZ articles, E-Paper editions, newsletters and rankings through lebensmittelzeitung.net, sold in monthly and annual tiers with trial offers.
• E-Paper Digital replica of the weekly print edition of Lebensmittel Zeitung, accessible through iOS and Android apps and via web browser, released Thursday evenings for digital subscribers.
• LZ direkt Specialised LZ sub-brand publication aimed at retail professionals, covering point-of-sale operations, sales tips, product knowledge and industry training content.
• LZ NONFOOD LZ sub-brand providing specialised editorial coverage and events for the non-food segment of the German consumer goods industry.
• LZ StoreTracker Standalone data tracking tool monitoring changes in German retail store networks and publishing monthly data on new openings, closures and existing locations of selected retailers.
• LZ Datenmonitor Data monitoring platform providing energy, raw materials, logistics and economic indicators for the food retail and consumer goods industry.
• LZ Events & Kongresse Annual paid industry congresses and events including LZ Retail Media Day, LZ Getränkekongress, LZ AI Day, LZ Private Label Day, LZ Health Day, LZ Molkerei Kongress, LZ Nonfood Kongress, LZ Breakfast Club and LZ Coffee Break.
• LZ Bildungsforum Annual paid training and education forum for HR, recruiters and trainers in German food retail, covering modern onboarding, motivation and talent retention topics.
• LZ Podcasts Audio content series including interviews, industry discussions and analysis, distributed via the LZ podcast channel.
• LZ Jobs

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Supermarket News: US-based B2B trade title for food retail, combining daily news, print editions, events, and rankings in a model closely parallel to Lebensmittel Zeitung.
• The Grocer: UK's leading B2B trade title for food retail and consumer goods, operating on a similar subscription + advertising + events model for grocery industry professionals.
• ESM European Supermarket Magazine: Pan-European B2B trade publication covering supermarket and FMCG industry news, analysis, and rankings — overlapping with LZ's core content proposition.
• Retail Week: UK-based B2B trade publication and events business covering retail, with a subscription-driven model and industry awards directly comparable to LZ's structure.
• TextilWirtschaft: Sister publication within Deutscher Fachverlag; same business model (B2B trade weekly, digital, events) but serving the textile/fashion retail vertical — directly comparable operating template.
• Lebensmittel Praxis: Direct competitor covering German food retail with a print and digital trade offering aimed at the same retail and FMCG professional audience as Lebensmittel Zeitung.

Broad incumbents

• Statista: Broad B2B data and statistics platform covering retail, FMCG, and consumer goods — competes with LZ Datenmonitor and StoreTracker for industry data subscriptions.
• NielsenIQ: Global consumer intelligence and retail measurement provider; overlaps with LZ Datenmonitor's market data products and competes for the same retail/CPG analytical budgets.

Emerging players

• FoodNavigator: Digital-first B2B trade media covering the food and beverage industry globally; competes for advertising spend and audience attention with a purely online model.

Regional players

• LSA Conso: France's leading retail and consumer goods trade publication — operates the same subscription + events + rankings model but serves French-speaking markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lebensmittel-zeitung
• Xx.com/LZNETnews
• Facebookfacebook.com/Lebensmittel.Zeitung

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Lebensmittel Zeitung