Mein Real
 | |
 Former real hypermarket located in Nordwalde, Germany | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Predecessors | allkauf Basar Continent divi Esbella Massa real-kauf Walmart (Germany) Géant (Poland) |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Defunct | 2024 |
| Fate | Bankruptcy and Liquidation |
| Successors | Edeka Globus Kaufland Rewe Auchan (international operations) Remarkt (Romania) Bi1 (Poland) |
| Headquarters | Mönchengladbach, Germany |
Area served | Germany |
Number of employees | 5,000 (2023) |
| Parent | The SCP Group |
| Website | meinreal.de |
Mein Real (formerly real until 2022 and real,- until 2017; stylized as mein real) was a German hypermarket chain initially owned by Metro AG until its sale to The SCP Group in 2020. Established in 1992 through the consolidation of divi, Basar, Continent, Esbella, and real-kauf, the brand operated beyond Germany until 2014, with presence in Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey. Most of these international branches were divested to the French retailer Auchan. Metro revealed plans to divest Real in 2018. By mid-2022, a majority of the stores had been acquired by retailers such as Edeka, Kaufland, Globus, Rewe, or V-Markt and rebranded accordingly. Although initial intentions aimed at phasing out the brand, early 2022 saw a reversal with 60 locations continuing operations under the real name under new management. The original web domain (real.de) was replaced by kaufland.de in 2021. Subsequently, the remaining stores adopted the Mein Real branding in 2022.
In September 2023, Mein Real initiated bankruptcy proceedings. After failed restructuring efforts, the last 45 stores not purchased by competitors were shuttered by March 2024, marking the end of the company's operations.
History
The real brand was introduced in 1992 when Asko AG unified its hypermarket chains divi, Basar, Continent, Esbella, and real-kauf under a single brand identity and store design. In 1995, Asko AG expanded by acquiring Massa AG and later Allkauf in 1998, converting their outlets to the real brand.
In 2006, Metro expanded its portfolio by purchasing Walmart’s German portfolio of 85 stores along with 26 Géant hypermarkets in Poland from Groupe Casino. By November 2018, Metro completed the sale of its Real hypermarkets across Poland, Romania, Russia, and Ukraine to Auchan for €1.1 billion; its operations in Turkey had already ceased by 2014.
The decision to sell all Real hypermarkets was announced in September 2018. In February 2020, The SCP Group—controlled by Russian businessman Vladimir Yevtushenkov—acquired the chain.
Starting April 2021, The SCP Group commenced liquidation of Real. Around 270 stores were sold to competitors and subsequently rebranded; more than 40 locations were closed permanently. The liquidation process was initially planned for completion by June 2022.
However, in January 2022 it was declared that the remaining 60 outlets would persist under the real brand following a restructuring effort spearheaded by attorney Sven Tischendorf. The Düsseldorf headquarters were closed while a successor company established in Frankfurt took over certain responsibilities; procurement and logistics functions were outsourced. In April 2022, the Federal Cartel Office authorized a purchasing collaboration between Rewe and Real.
Under new ownership came a rebranding initiative: on July 1, 2022, the brand transitioned from real to mein real, replacing its longstanding slogan Einmal hin. Alles drin. with alles was ich mag!
On September 30, 2023, Mein Real filed for insolvency under self-administration impacting all employees and store locations. Employee salaries continued during this period. By November 20, it was confirmed that competitors would take over ownership of 18 stores (13 to Rewe, three to Kaufland, one to Edeka), while the remaining 45 outlets would cease operations by March 31, 2024. This marked the conclusion of real GmbH’s business activities.
Products
In addition to groceries, Real provides an extensive selection of household items, electronic devices, books, media products, textiles, and footwear. The footwear segment, encompassing both sports and casual shoes, operates through concessions managed by Hamm Market Solutions GmbH & Co KG. The assortment features well-known brands alongside multiple store brands, including the budget-friendly TiP (Toll im Preis – Great Price), the mid-range real Quality, the upscale realSelection, organic options under real Bio, and consumer electronics branded as Watson.
Current
- real Quality
- realSelection
- real Bio
- Watson
- meinreal.de
Former
- real.digital – rebranded as Kaufland E-Commerce
- real2business – now known as marketplaceworld
- TiP – succeeded by Jeden Tag
- real.de – redirects visitors to kaufland.de
- Payback real club cards
- real Future Store – brand phased out and converted into a standard store in 2013
- real Poland – transitioned to Auchan
- real Russia – changed to Auchan (Ашан)
- real Ukraine
- real Romania – transformed into Auchan before being remarketed
- real Turkey