What famila Nordost does

famila Nordost (legal entity famila-Handelsmarkt Kiel GmbH & Co. KG) is a German self-service department store (SB-Warenhaus) chain headquartered in Kiel, founded in 1974 in Eutin. The company operates approximately 90 stores of 2,000–5,000 m² across Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Brandenburg, and North Rhine-Westphalia, serving more than 46 million customer visits per year with roughly 40,000 SKUs per store. It is wholly owned by the Bartels-Langness family group (founded 1892) and operates alongside group-level logistics, fresh-meat production in Neumünster, and a cold-storage facility opened in 2019. Management consists of three Geschäftsführer: Frank Hachmann, Christian Lahrtz, and Klaus Stechhöfer.

The core offering is grocery and daily-needs retail, anchored by specialty counters (meat, fish, cheese, sushi, bakery, wine), own private-label brands (Biogreno for organic, Hofgut for dairy, Schneekloth for wine, vegan leben for vegan), and an in-house fresh-meat center. Digital and service layers include the famila GO app with Scan & Go self-scanning, online pre-order shops for meat, fish, and cheese specialties with in-store pickup, WhatsApp-delivered digital brochures, an EV-charging network rollout (targeting 200+ fast-charging points by end-2025), an IKEA Click & Collect partnership at six parking-lot locations, ticket pre-sales covering ~200,000 events, and accessibility features including the "Stille Stunde" quiet-hour pilot. Tenancy revenue from in-store partners (pharmacies, dm-drogerie, Deutsche Post, Blume2000, bakeries, barbers, florists) supplements retail revenue.

The business model is primarily in-store retail sales across the SB-Warenhaus network, complemented by specialty online pre-orders for in-store pickup, rental income from in-store tenants, and small commissions from ticket sales and partner promotions. Pricing follows a dual strategy: standard unit pricing across 40,000 SKUs alongside a "Billiger-ist-keiner" discount program of ~900 SKUs priced daily against major discounters. Distribution is exclusively physical-store-plus-pickup across northern Germany; there is no national delivery or e-commerce grocery operation. Marketing is multi-channel: weekly print and WhatsApp brochures, email newsletter, Facebook/Instagram, the Treueaktion loyalty program, and the Vereinsheim regional-club sponsorship initiative.

Name

famila Nordost

Legal name

famila-Handelsmarkt Kiel GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://famila-nordost.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

famila Nordost operates approximately 90 self-service department stores of 2,000–5,000 m² across northern Germany, serving more than 46 million customer visits per year with groceries, fresh-food counters, and own brands; the chain is a wholly owned subsidiary of the family-held Bartels-Langness Group headquartered in Kiel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Grocery retail

NAICS

Grocery and Convenience Retailers (4451)

SIC

Retail-Grocery Stores (5411)

akta.pro primary industry

Warehouse-Style Bulk Grocers (Membership/Non-membership) (CRAHAMAB)

Keywords

• Grocery retail
• Self-service department stores
• Fresh food counters
• Private label brands
• Digital shopping services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kiel

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales (In-Store): Revenue generated from retail sales of groceries, fresh foods, and non-food daily-needs products across approximately 90 SB-Warenhaus locations in northern Germany. Includes specialty counters for meat, fish, cheese, sushi, bakery, and wine. Around 40,000 articles per store, including ~900 discount-priced items.
2. Online Specialty Orders: Revenue from online ordering of specialty products (meat shop, fish shop, cheese orders) for in-store pickup. Products ordered online and collected at the customer's chosen famila location.
3. Rental Income from In-Store Tenants: Revenue from renting space within stores to third-party tenants such as pharmacies, bakeries, florists, DM-drogerie, post offices, TABAK/lottery shops, barbers, and other specialty retailers.
4. Ticket Sales Commission: CTS event ticket pre-sales service at service counters, earning commissions on ticket sales for ~200,000 events nationwide.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

famila Nordost operates a chain of approximately 90 self-service department stores (SB-Warenhäuser) across northern Germany, each typically 2,000–5,000 m² in size and stocking about 40,000 grocery and daily-needs articles. The company sells fresh food (meat, fish, cheese, bakery), own private-label brands (Biogreno, Hofgut, Schneekloth, vegan leben), non-food essentials, and offers additional services such as Scan & Go, ticket sales, delivery, and EV charging.

Product overview

famila Nordost operates approximately 90 self-service department stores (SB-Warenhäuser) of 2,000–5,000 square meters across northern Germany, offering approximately 40,000 grocery and daily-need products per store. The core offering centers on food retail, supplemented by its own fresh meat center in Neumünster and specialty counters for meat, fish, and cheese. The portfolio includes digital services via the famila GO mobile app (offering Scan & Go self-scanning, coupons, recipe ideas, and digital flyers via WhatsApp), online ordering shops for meat, fish, and cheese specialties with in-store pickup, and complementary services such as ticket booking, EV charging, and IKEA pickup stations. Own private label brands include Biogreno (organic), Hofgut (dairy/beverages), Schneekloth (wine/gourmet), and vegan leben (vegan products). The company is owned by the Bartels-Langness Group (founded 1892) and is headquartered in Kiel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• famila GO: Kostenlose App als Einkaufsbegleiter mit Angeboten, Coupons, Rezeptideen
• Biogreno
• Hofgut
• Schneekloth
• vegan leben
• vegan leben

Products and services

• Self-Service Department Stores (SB-Warenhäuser) famila Nordost's core retail format, comprising approximately 90 large self-service department stores across northern Germany, generally 2,000–5,000 m² in size, offering about 40,000 grocery and daily-needs articles per store, including fresh food, private-label brands, and non-food essentials.
• famila GO App Free mobile shopping companion app providing weekly offers, coupons, recipe ideas, digital flyers, and Scan & Go self-scanning functionality for in-store shopping.
• Scan & Go Self-scanning in-store service using a handheld scanner via the famila GO app, allowing customers to scan items and checkout at self-scanning or regular checkouts; first introduced at famila in Kiel-Dietrichsdorf.
• Meat Online Shop (Fleisch-Onlineshop) Online ordering platform for famila's exclusive meat and sausage specialties, produced in the own master-run butchery in Neumünster, allowing pre-order and pickup at selected markets; expanded to the full meat specialty range in October 2020.
• Fish Online Shop (Fisch-Onlineshop) Online ordering platform for fresh fish specialties, prepared on-site, available for pre-order and pickup at selected markets; initially only at famila in Reinbek.
• Cheese Ordering (Käsebestellung) Pre-ordering service for cheese specialties, available for pickup at the selected famila market.
• Delivery Service (Lieferservice) Delivery service for customers in rural areas of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, providing home delivery of groceries.
• TOMRA R1/R2 Automated Bottle Return Machine (TOMRA R1/R2 Leergutautomat) Automated bottle and can return system installed at selected famila markets, accepting up to 100 containers at once and automatically sorting PET, cans and glass bottles for recycling.
• famila Ticket Service (famila Ticketservice) CTS event-ticket advance-booking service available at the famila service desk, providing access to over 180,000 events nationwide with no delivery fee or ticket risk.
• EV Charging Stations (E-Ladestationen) Electric-vehicle charging stations available at various famila market locations, with plans to expand to over 200 public fast-charging points by end of 2025.
• Biogreno Organic Private-Label Brand (Biogreno) famila's own organic private-label brand, offering over 4,000 organic products in the current assortment, including printed fruits and vegetables, natural wines, and specialties.
• Hofgut Dairy and Beverage Brand (Hofgut) Premium private-label brand for dairy products and beverages, including north German fresh milk from pasture-fed cows.
• Schneekloth Wine and Gourmet Brand (Schneekloth) Premium private-label wine and gourmet specialty brand, featuring regional Schleswig-Holstein wines and gourmet items.
• vegan leben Vegan Private-Label Brand (vegan leben) Own vegan umbrella private-label brand introduced in 2016, offering a wide range of vegan products, including plant-based alternatives.
• Package-Free Shopping Concept (Unverpackt) Package-free shopping concept launched in 11 markets in July 2019, later expanded to a bio-quality package-free range, allowing customers to purchase products without packaging.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 46 million customers shop at famila each year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• shop-apotheke.comminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 May 2008Since May 2008, famila and shop-apotheke.com have offered cross-promotional access. famila website visitors can access shop-apotheke.com's range of 200,000+ products (pharmaceuticals, homeopathy, diabetes, beauty, and care). The partnership includes online integration on famila's website and offline promotional flyers distributed in stores and via direct mail to 2.4 million households. shop-apotheke.com benefits from famila's northern German reach of 80+ locations and 2.3M+ monthly visits to their platform.
• IKEAminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIKEA products ordered online can be collected at six designated famila store parking lots. A converted truck serves as a mobile pickup station during specific time windows. Customers receive a €5 famila discount coupon for their next grocery purchase. This partnership provides convenience for IKEA customers while driving foot traffic to famila.
• Sushi CircleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSushi Circle operates a sushi counter at the famila Itzehoe store, preparing fresh sushi on-site in the fresh food area. The partnership provides customers with freshly prepared Asian specialties as part of the in-store dining experience.
• Too Good To GominorStrategic or Co-development Partnerfamila is a partner of Too Good To Go, the surplus food rescue app. The partnership helps reduce food waste by offering near-expiry food items at discounted prices through the app, contributing to famila's sustainability and ESG commitments.
• BREMER Hamburg GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGeneral contractor for key projects such as the famila Itzehoe new building. BREMER built the store as a turnkey project, overcoming difficult soil conditions (requiring foundation pilings) to deliver a modern 3,100 m² retail building.
• Holstein KielminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional sports sponsorship. famila runs the 'Ab 12 € zum 12. Mann' promotion where customers who spend €12 or more can win 2 tickets to Holstein Kiel home games by scanning a QR code on their receipt. famila also sponsors the Holstein Kiel fan shop at the Neumünster store location.
• Block HouseminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributorfamila carries Block House beef exclusively in its stores. The Block House cattle raising program provides improved animal welfare standards. Part of the premium fresh meat offering at meistergeführte (master butcher-run) meat counters.
• Coca-ColaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJoint promotion during the 2026 Bundesliga season. Coca-Cola and famila ran a sweepstakes: customers who purchased 0.33L Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, or Mezzo Mix during August 2026 and uploaded a photo of their receipt to the Coca-Cola app could win VIP or regular Bundesliga tickets. Promotion communicated in famila stores and newsletter.
• AEGminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOngoing loyalty Treueaktion partnership. Customers collect points at famila to redeem for AEG household appliances. The partnership leverages AEG's 135+ year brand heritage for quality, innovation, and modern design in home appliances.
• Bartels-Langness (BELA) UnternehmensgruppecoreStrategic or Co-development Partnerfamila-Handelsmarkt Kiel GmbH & Co. KG is a subsidiary of the Bartels-Langness group, a family business founded in 1892 headquartered in Kiel. BELA operates in food wholesale and retail, bakery/bakery supplies, wine cultivation and trade, and pet supplies specialty retail. BELA provides shared services including logistics (Frischeläger, Tiefkühllager), compliance infrastructure, IT systems, and the compliance hotline (BKMS). Website development is credited to Bartels-Langness Handelsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves18 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Netto Marken-Discount: Hard discounter with strong presence across northern Germany (part of EDEKA Group); competes directly with famila on price-conscious shoppers and on the discount-price basket that informs famila's daily competitive pricing program.
• HIT Handelsgruppe: Regional German SB-Warenhaus operator with hypermarket-style stores of ~6,000–10,000 m²; comparable to famila in large-format grocery and non-food combination and in competing for weekly family shop occasions in their respective regions.
• Globus Fachmärkte: Operates large SB-Warenhäuser and Fachmärkte in Germany with strong fresh and regional assortment; comparable to famila in combining full-range grocery with non-food and service counters, and in regional/family positioning.
• EDEKA: Germany's largest full-range grocery retailer with a nationwide network of independent EDEKA stores and E-Center hypermarkets; directly comparable to famila in assortment, fresh counter offering, and SB-Warenhaus/Verbrauchermarkt format, and competing in many of the same northern German cities.
• REWE: Major German full-range grocery retailer operating REWE Märkte and large REWE Center hypermarkets across Germany including northern Germany; directly comparable to famila on format, assortment breadth, fresh service counters, and regional promotional/loyalty mechanics.
• Kaufland: German hypermarket/SB-Warenhaus operator (Schwarz Group) offering large-format stores with ~30,000+ SKUs combining groceries and non-food; the closest format competitor to famila's 2,000–5,000 m² SB-Warenhäuser, including service counters and own-brand ranges.
• ALDI Nord: Hard discounter with primary operating territory in northern Germany (same footprint as famila Nordost); competes head-to-head on price-sensitive SKUs that drive famila's 'Billiger-ist-keiner' discount program, making it the primary price benchmark for the chain.
• Lidl: Hard discounter with national footprint including dense coverage in northern Germany; comparable to famila on store-format evolution toward larger stores with broader assortment, and on price competition across fresh and dry grocery categories.

Others

• Breuninger (non-food reference): Adjacent comparison as a regional family-owned German retail group with strong store experience and private-label focus; useful as a peer reference for regional density, brand equity, and family-owned retail positioning rather than direct grocery competition.

Broad incumbents

• Markant (Sister brand under BELA Group): Sister consumer-goods retail and wholesale brand under the same Bartels-Langness parent group as famila Nordost; comparable as a related grocery/non-food retail channel that shares logistics, IT, and parent backing with famila.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/famila.nordost
• Instagraminstagram.com/famila.nordost
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/famila-nordost

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 famila Nordost