What RUNGIS express GmbH does

RUNGIS express GmbH is a German B2B food wholesaler headquartered in Meckenheim that supplies premium and specialty food products to HoReCa customers (hotels, restaurants, caterers) and fine-food retailers in Germany and Austria. The company was founded around 1980 from the original idea of driving overnight to the Paris Rungis market to buy fresh fish, and has since grown into what the company describes as one of Europe's largest trading companies for high-quality food products for gastronomy, with an assortment of approximately 10,000 products (around 7,000 listed online) sourced from more than 80 countries.

The commercial platform is a B2B e-commerce storefront at r-express.com with companion iOS and Android apps, behind which sits a proprietary wholesale logistics capability via its wholly-owned subsidiary Cool Chain Group (CCG DE GmbH). Refrigerated trucks deliver up to six times per week, distributing roughly 40 tons of premium product per night to approximately 2,000 active customers. The assortment spans meat (including dry-aged German beef and Wagyu), fish and seafood, fruit and vegetables, dairy and eggs, delicatessen, bakery, pâtisserie, mise en place (pre-prepared products organized by kitchen station), non-food kitchen supplies, vegan/plant-based lines, molecular gastronomy inputs, and country-specific cuisine collections (Japanese, Chinese, Thai).

RUNGIS express is a private German GmbH operating within the METRO AG corporate family; METRO Group systems, including compliance infrastructure, are used. The revenue model is straightforward product resale to professional buyers at wholesale, with customer pricing gated behind B2B account login. Distribution is direct-to-business via the company's own cold-chain logistics, supplemented by content marketing through supplier stories and the "We Meet Chefs" program, with no disclosed consumer sales channel.

Name

RUNGIS express GmbH

Legal name

RUNGIS express GmbH

Website

https://r-express.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Short description

RUNGIS express GmbH is a German B2B food wholesaler serving HoReCa customers and fine-food retailers in Germany and Austria with a ~10,000-SKU premium assortment sourced from 80+ countries, distributed nightly via its own refrigerated logistics subsidiary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foodservice Distribution

NAICS

Packaged Frozen Food Merchant Wholesalers (424420)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141), Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate & Catering Online Ordering/Delivery (AFAIAMAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refrigerated/Chilled Foods Wholesale (Deli, Prepared, Fresh Pasta, etc.) (AFAIAHAB), Retailer & Small-Store Supply (C-Store, Mini-Mart, Independent Retail) (CRAEAEAD)

Keywords

• Food wholesale distribution
• HoReCa food supply
• Specialty food ingredients
• Cold chain logistics
• B2B gastronomy supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Meckenheim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Food Product Sales: Sale of premium food products to HoReCa businesses, fine food retailers, and caterers. Products sourced from 80+ countries including meat, fish, seafood, fruits, vegetables, dairy, pastries, vegan products, and mise en place items. B2B wholesale model with delivery to business premises.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

RUNGIS express GmbH is a B2B food wholesaler that supplies premium and specialty food products to hotels, restaurants, caterers, and fine food retailers in Germany and Austria. Customers order through a dedicated B2B e-commerce platform and mobile app, and the company delivers refrigerated goods directly to business premises via its wholly-owned cold-chain logistics subsidiary Cool Chain Group (CCG DE GmbH).

Product overview

RUNGIS express GmbH operates a B2B e-commerce platform and wholesale food distribution business serving the gastronomy, hotel, and catering sectors in Germany and Austria. The core offering is the R express Online Shop supplemented by a mobile app (iOS/Android), supported by proprietary temperature-controlled logistics through subsidiary Cool Chain Group (CCG DE GmbH). The product portfolio encompasses approximately 7,000-10,000 premium food items from over 80 countries, organized into major categories: Meat (including specialty Wagyu beef, dry-aged beef from True Wilderness), Fish & Seafood, Fruit & Vegetables, Dairy & Eggs, Delicatessen/Pantry, Bakery, Pâtisserie, Mise en Place (pre-prepared kitchen station products), Non-Food supplies, and Vegan/Plant-Based alternatives. The Mise en Place line features ready-to-use products organized by professional kitchen stations. Specialty offerings include Molecular Gastronomy ingredients and Regional Cuisines (Japanese, Chinese, Thai). The company maintains a network of premium suppliers including named brands like True Wilderness (German dry-aged beef), Kikok (premium poultry), Them Gastro (Danish cheese), and Arzagot (edible flowers).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• R express Online Shop B2B e-commerce platform at r-express.com where registered gastronomy, hotel, catering, and fine food retail customers log in to browse the assortment, place orders, save multiple shipping addresses, and track order status.
• R express Mobile App Companion iOS and Android application providing registered B2B customers with on-the-go access to the R express catalog, ordering, and account management.
• Cool Chain Group (CCG DE GmbH) delivery service Wholly-owned temperature-controlled logistics subsidiary operating refrigerated trucks that deliver approximately 40 tons of premium food products nightly to around 2,000 HoReCa customers in Germany and Austria, up to six times per week.

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Cool Chain Group (CCG DE GmbH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOwn logistics subsidiary handling refrigerated transport and delivery. Ensures cold chain integrity from supplier to customer. Delivers approximately 40 tons of premium food products nightly to ~2,000 customers in the HoReCa sector.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Handelshof Management GmbH: Handelshof is a long-established German foodservice wholesaler supplying restaurants, hotels, and caterers. Similar B2B delivery model and HoReCa focus make it a close comparable to RUNGIS express.
• INTERGAST Großverbraucher-Servicegesellschaft mbH: INTERGAST is a German foodservice wholesaler group serving hotels, restaurants, and caterers with multi-regional delivery and premium positioning. Directly comparable in target market, distribution model, and product breadth.
• Transgourmet Deutschland: Transgourmet is a major European foodservice wholesaler (subsidiary of Coop Group) with strong operations in Germany serving HoReCa customers. Overlapping assortment, multi-channel ordering, and refrigerated delivery make it a direct peer.
• CHEFS CULINAR: CHEFS CULINAR is one of the largest German foodservice wholesalers serving hotels, restaurants, and caterers with premium and mainstream assortments. Directly comparable to RUNGIS express in target customer, B2B delivery model, and product breadth.
• Frischeparadies Deutschland: Frischeparadies is a German premium food specialist wholesaler serving top restaurants and hotels with high-end ingredients. Directly comparable to RUNGIS express in premium HoReCa positioning, assortment curation, and chef-driven customer base.
• EGV Lebensmittel für Großverbraucher GmbH: EGV is a leading Austrian foodservice wholesaler serving HoReCa in Austria with delivery. Direct overlap with RUNGIS express in Austria and similar premium HoReCa positioning.

Broad incumbents

• METRO Cash & Carry Deutschland: METRO Cash & Carry is a sister company under the same METRO AG parent, serving HoReCa and traders with broad assortment via cash-and-carry and delivery. While larger and broader in assortment than RUNGIS express, it overlaps significantly in customer base.
• Brakes Group (Sysco): Brakes Group is a major UK and pan-European foodservice wholesaler (part of Sysco) serving restaurants, hotels, and caterers. While primarily UK-centric, it represents a comparable institutional HoReCa delivery model.
• Selgros Cash & Carry: Selgros is a German cash-and-carry wholesaler under the Transgourmet umbrella serving HoReCa and small retailers. Broader assortment and self-service model differentiate it from RUNGIS express's premium delivery focus, but customer overlap is significant.
• Bidfood Germany: Bidfood is a pan-European foodservice distributor (part of Bidcorp) operating in Germany with broad assortment HoReCa delivery. Broader portfolio and mainstream positioning contrast with RUNGIS express's premium specialization.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 RUNGIS express GmbH