Plus (German supermarket)

Plus

Company type	Discount supermarket chain
Industry	Retail (supermarket)
Founded	1972
Defunct	2009
Fate	Acquired by Edeka Group and Tengelmann Group; locations converted to Netto Marken-Discount and other brands
Area served	Germany, various European countries, United States
Products	Discount groceries
Number of employees	27,000

Plus () was a discount supermarket chain originating from Germany, established in 1972 as a multinational enterprise. It managed around 2,840 outlets within Germany, employing about 27,000 staff members, and operated roughly 1,200 additional stores across various European nations. The business model emphasized offering affordable grocery items directly from shipping boxes, thereby reducing costs associated with product presentation and promotional activities. In German marketing campaigns, "Plus" served as a backronym for "Prima leben und sparen" ("excellent living and saving"), and its branding featured animated mascots known as "little prices."

Sale

On 16 November 2007, the Edeka Group and Tengelmann Group collaborated to form a joint venture aimed at acquiring Plus, with Edeka holding a 70% stake and Tengelmann owning the remaining 30%.

By January 2009, Edeka had transitioned its Plus locations into Netto Marken-Discount stores, while Tengelmann divested its outlets to other market players.

In 2008, Plus received recognition from PETA as the most pet-friendly discount retailer.

Country	Initial store opening	Exit year	Store count	Acquired by
Cyprus	1973	2008	44	AlphaMega
Germany	1972	2007	2840	Netto Marken-Discount (Edeka) and 328 Penny Market (REWE)
Austria	2003	2010	355
Spain	1994	2007	238	Dia
Portugal	2003	2007	75	Pingo Doce (Jerónimo Martins)
Poland	1995	2007	183	Biedronka (Jerónimo Martins)
Czech Republic	1992	2008	134	Penny Market (REWE)
Hungary	1992	2008	174	Spar
Romania	2005	2010	120	Lidl
Bulgaria	2009	2010	25	Lidl
Greece	2006	2008	33	Alfa-Beta Vassilopoulos (Ahold Delhaize)
United States	1979	1982	21	The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company

External links

• (Link from 2021, currently redirects to netto-online.de)
• (Archived version from 2008)
• Plus-Sammlung.de A compilation of Plus brand collectibles and an extensive overview of Plus's history in Germany and the United States (content in German)