Kaufland launches its marketplace in Spain with over 10 million items

The Schwarz Group, parent company of Lidl and Kaufland, has announced the official launch of Kaufland.es, its e-commerce marketplace in Spain. This move places the platform in its ninth European market, following Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and the Netherlands. The entry into the Iberian market is part of the German conglomerate's expansion strategy, which seeks to consolidate itself as Europe's largest marketplace network.

A large-scale initial offer

For its debut, Kaufland.es presents a robust catalog that includes over 10 million items distributed across more than 6,400 categories. The platform features the participation of over 3,100 sellers in the Spanish market, although the company's global network exceeds 15,000 retailers. The assortment covers a wide variety of sectors, from electronics, fashion, and home, to gardening, DIY, parapharmacy, and food.

As a reference for its logistical and catalog capacity, the German version of the platform, Kaufland.de, currently offers over 45 million products. This breadth of offer is one of the pillars on which the company bases its value proposition for Spanish consumers.

Business model and competitive advantage

Kaufland operates under a marketplace model, acting as an intermediary between sellers, brands, and manufacturers on one hand, and buyers on the other. This approach allows local merchants to access new sales channels without the need for additional registration, thanks to the Kaufland Global Marketplace solution.

Gerald Schönbucher, member of Kaufland's e-commerce board, highlighted the trust of Spanish merchants in the platform: “The fact that many Spanish merchants have long trusted Kaufland's marketplace as a sales solution confirms our approach. As a solid European marketplace provider, we are now returning this trust in their home market with Kaufland.es”. The executive anticipates an “equally strong start” in Spain, similar to that achieved in France and Italy, where the platform reached one million monthly visitors a few months after its launch.

Spanish market context

Kaufland's arrival in Spain comes in a context where marketplaces already account for 50% of online sales in the country, according to a study by Elogia, while another 45% combines these platforms with brand or retailer online stores.

However, competition is intense. Amazon maintains a 90% penetration in the Spanish market, and other platforms such as AliExpress, Temu, and Shein have gained popularity. Kaufland will have to find its way among these giants, as well as against traditional retailers that have digitized their offer, such as El Corte Inglés, Ikea, Leroy Merlin, or MediaMarkt.

Support from the Schwarz Group

The launch of Kaufland.es is backed by the financial and operational support of the Schwarz Group, which closed its last fiscal year with global revenue of €185.6 billion, 14,500 stores, and over 600,000 employees. The Lidl division is the group's main engine, with revenue of €140 billion and a market share of 7.3% in Spain, according to Worldpanel by Numerator, making it the third supermarket chain in the country, behind Mercadona and Carrefour.

Kaufland, for its part, operates more than 1,600 physical stores in eight European countries (Germany, Poland, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia) and recorded sales growth of 4.3% in its last fiscal year, reaching €36.7 billion. The company has other divisions such as Schwarz Produktion, PreZero, and Schwarz Digits, which strengthen its business ecosystem.