Unimarkt could close every third branch
At least eight Unimarkt branches will close on December 20. However, it could affect a total of about one-third of the more than 90 locations. "If no successor solutions can be found, locations will be taken off the market and closed," said a Unimarkt spokesperson in response to an APA inquiry. Spar plans to take over 23 branches and Rewe 21. Discussions are being held with independent retailers for a few others, which are expected to be finalized in January.
Question Marks Present
As of December 20, it will initially affect four branches in Upper Austria, three in Styria, and one in Lower Austria. How many locations will ultimately not continue cannot be said in detail yet, but it can be assumed to be around one-third, according to Unimarkt. Closures will gradually occur in the first quarter of 2026.
The allocation to the large supermarket chains is largely complete. However, both the transaction with Spar and that with Rewe are still subject to approval by the Federal Competition Authority (BWB). If they give the green light, at least nearly half of the Unimarkts would be saved for the time being. The handovers are planned for the first months of 2026. The locations taken over by the two major competitors are expected to remain open during the transition period.
Specifically, the Rewe Group is taking over 21 branches - 13 of them in Upper Austria, six in Styria, and two in Lower Austria. The majority will be operated as Adeg stores in the future, with some locations becoming Billa or Penny branches. Spar is buying 23 locations - 11 in Styria, five in Upper Austria, four in Lower Austria, two in Salzburg, and one in Burgenland. In both cases, the purchase price has been kept confidential.
Unimarkt Announced Withdrawal
The grocery retailer Unimarkt, based in Traun, announced in September that it would withdraw from the market and sell or close its more than 90 locations - both franchise and own - by the end of the year. 120 employees at the headquarters and 500 in the branches have been registered with the AMS early warning system. How many of them will keep their jobs remains uncertain.
(APA/Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.