Kaufland, the German hypermarket chain owned by the Schwarz Group, has announced the launch of its online marketplace in Spain and the Netherlands before the end of summer 2026, taking its total market count to nine and claiming the title of the largest marketplace network of European origin. Online sellers can already register for both new markets, with a single sign-up also granting access to all of Kaufland's existing country marketplaces.
The platform will offer consumers across both countries millions of products from third-party sellers spanning more than 6,400 categories, from electronics and fashion to gardening supplies, sports equipment and household goods. Kaufland will handle customer service in the local language and payment processing in local currencies, while sellers fulfil orders directly. For the Spanish market, supported payment methods will include Bizum and PayPal, alongside a planned buy-now-pay-later option.
"With Spain and the Netherlands, two major e-commerce markets are now being added. For our sellers, that means even more customers, even more visibility and growth in Europe. At the same time, we are staying on course: fair competition, clear rules and European standards for data security and product quality. That is exactly what sellers expect today and exactly what we deliver," said Gerald Schönbucher, CEO, Kaufland e-commerce, and board member, Kaufland Stiftung (Schwarz Group).
Kaufland's marketplace currently reaches an audience of 139 million online consumers. With the additions of Spain and the Netherlands, its potential reach will grow to 220 million consumers by the end of summer. The platform's trajectory is compelling for investors tracking European e-commerce consolidation: revenue via Kaufland.at in Austria rose 439% last year, while Kaufland.pl in Poland achieved 322% revenue growth, both marketplaces now two years into operation. In Germany, the platform attracts up to 32 million monthly visitors and carries more than 45 million products across 6,400 categories.
What the announcement signals beyond headline numbers is a deliberate infrastructure play. Kaufland explicitly positions itself as a European alternative to global platforms such as Amazon, Temu and AliExpress, with CEO Gerald Schönbucher noting that more and more consumers are seeking platforms operating to European standards on data protection, product safety and consumer rights. For retail property investors and developers, the significance is equally structural: a marketplace reaching 220 million consumers without a single physical store in either Spain or the Netherlands demonstrates the sustained decoupling of retail market penetration from bricks-and-mortar footprint. More than 500 Spanish companies had already been selling on Kaufland's other European marketplaces ahead of the local launch, pointing to a proven demand signal before a single local consumer transaction takes place.
Kaufland operates more than 1,600 physical stores in eight European countries and is part of the Schwarz Group, which also owns Lidl. Its marketplace model, launched in Germany in 2021, has expanded steadily: Slovakia and the Czech Republic followed in 2023, Austria and Poland in 2024, and France and Italy in 2025. Spain and the Netherlands mark its seventh and eighth international markets, with the platform now operating the most geographically distributed marketplace infrastructure of any European-headquartered retail group.
People mentioned
- Gerald Schönbucher, CEO, Kaufland e-commerce; board member, Kaufland Stiftung (Schwarz Group)
Companies mentioned
- Kaufland, German hypermarket chain and online marketplace operator; part of the Schwarz Group
- Kaufland Global Marketplace, Kaufland's all-in-one cross-border marketplace platform for online sellers
- Schwarz Group, parent company of Kaufland and Lidl; one of the largest retail groups in Europe
- Lidl, discount supermarket chain; sister brand of Kaufland within the Schwarz Group
- Amazon, US e-commerce and technology group; referenced as a primary competitive benchmark
- Temu, Chinese cross-border e-commerce platform; referenced as competitive context
- AliExpress, Alibaba's global online retail marketplace; referenced as competitive context
