Selling on Kaufland: is it right for your brand and European growth plans?

Define the role Kaufland should play

Adding a marketplace can easily be presented as growth. The more useful question is what you want it to achieve.

Are you testing a product range in another country? Looking for additional demand for an established assortment? Or reducing dependence on a single platform?

These objectives lead to different decisions. A brand investigating a new market needs evidence of demand and feasible delivery. A brand seeking additional sales also needs to consider how much business is genuinely incremental.

Kaufland Global Marketplace provides access to several European marketplaces through one registration. That enables expansion, but each market still needs its own assessment.

Start with one objective. For example: establish whether a selected product range can generate positive contribution in Germany after selling and operating costs.

That gives the launch a commercial purpose and a clear basis for evaluation.

Choose your first market and product range

Activating every available country is rarely the most useful way to discover where your brand has an opportunity.

Choose a starting market using information already available to your business. This could include webshop orders from that country, distributor enquiries, performance on other marketplaces or specific category insights.

These signals support a hypothesis. They do not establish that the same offer will perform on Kaufland.

Then select a coherent product group. Prioritise products with:

• A clear use case and recognisable differentiation.

• Sufficient stock and predictable availability.

• Room for channel costs and potential acquisition costs.

• Complete product information.

• Manageable shipping and return costs.

A focused range makes results easier to interpret and improvements easier to implement. It also avoids introducing a large number of weak or incomplete offers that immediately create work for the team.

Investigate demand and competition

Examine the category from the customer’s perspective.

Which alternatives are available? How are they presented? What prices and delivery terms will customers see? Why would they choose your product?

Compare equivalent offers. A lower-priced alternative may differ in quantity, quality or application. Equally, your higher price may not be supported clearly enough by the product presentation.

The number of competing offers does not establish sales potential. A crowded category may have strong demand, but also significant price pressure. A category with few offers might provide an opening, or reflect limited demand.

Combine observations on Kaufland with existing sales data and relevant market information. Record the assumptions your pilot needs to test.

For the wider channel decision, see our marketplace selection framework.

Calculate the contribution from each sale

Kaufland charges a monthly base fee and sales commissions. Applicable costs depend on factors including the category and services selected. Check the current conditions for your product range.

Also account for your own costs:

• Product purchase and related costs.

• Packaging, fulfilment and shipping.

• Returns handling and potential write-offs.

• Promotions and advertising you intend to use.

• Additional work and required software.

Use consistent revenue definitions and the actual basis on which platform fees are calculated. A commission percentage should not automatically be applied to revenue excluding VAT.

A fictional example

A product generates average revenue of €50 per order after adjustments for VAT, discounts and expected refunds. Product costs are €22. Platform costs, fulfilment, shipping and additional return costs total €15.

That leaves €13 before advertising and fixed costs. If acquisition averages €6 per order, the remaining contribution is €7.

This is not profit. The contribution also needs to support fixed costs and the launch investment. At 100 comparable orders, contribution is €700, rather than the €5,000 shown in the revenue chart.

These figures are illustrative and do not represent Kaufland’s fees.

Organise delivery before launching

An additional sales channel affects several parts of the business. Agree who owns product data, stock, pricing, orders and exceptions.

Kaufland requires product information and customer communication in the language of the relevant marketplace. The seller remains responsible for shipping. Available translation support can help with preparation, but does not replace your own quality checks.

Also establish which product and country requirements apply to your situation. Prepare the necessary information and documentation before going live.

An integration can reduce recurring work. It cannot resolve unreliable source data or unclear responsibilities on its own.

Our ChannelEngine guide examines how a marketplace platform can fit your existing systems and team.

Run a pilot that supports a decision

A useful pilot has a limited scope and a clear question about what happens next.

Define:

• The market and products included.

• The time and budget available.

• The person accountable for delivery.

• Expected contribution and remaining uncertainties.

• The conditions for continuing, adapting or stopping.

Track revenue and orders alongside availability, returns and additional work. A range that sells but requires constant manual correction has different growth requirements from one that operates consistently.

Allow enough time to gather useful evidence. Account for the launch period, promotions and seasonal effects. A first order is encouraging; it does not establish a scalable channel.

Decide when another initiative deserves priority

Kaufland does not have to be your next step.

If existing channels experience recurring stock problems, unclear margins or incomplete product information, addressing those issues may deliver value sooner.

Compare the Kaufland investment with one or two specific improvements in your current business. Which offers the strongest combination of expected contribution, evidence and feasibility?

This keeps international expansion connected to your growth plan, rather than making it another project competing for the same limited capacity.

When strategic support can help

A brand may be ready to expand while the right market, product selection or approach remains uncertain.

BND connects that decision with the commercial and operational reality of your business. We assess the channel’s role, make assumptions and costs visible, and identify the next step most likely to provide useful evidence or results.

Through Growth Strategy, we turn those decisions into a focused plan with clear priorities and responsibilities.