Press Release 17th May 2023

"Round up, please!" - over 1.5 million euros donated to people in need

The donation initiative "Aufrunder bewirken Wunder" (rounding up makes miracles happen), which has been running since 2013 by Caritas Austria and REWE Group, has already reached the total donation sum of more than 1.5 million euros. Every cent goes directly to people in need in Austria, such as mother-child homes or families in distress.

Three people outdoors holding a sign with a smiling face and the text "Aufrunder bewirken Wunder." They are standing on a grassy area with trees and a road in the background. One person is wearing a red shirt, another a dark vest, and the third a gray polo shirt.

The donation initiative "Aufrunder bewirken Wunder", which has been running since 2013 by Caritas Austria and REWE Group, has already reached the total donation sum of more than 1.5 million euros. / Copyright: Robert Harson, Reproduction for PR purposes free of charge

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"Round up, please!" was launched in 2013 as a joint initiative of Caritas Austria and REWE Group.
Over the past 10 years, customers have said "Round up, please!" more than 26 million times and thus already donated more than 1.5 million euros to people in need in Austria.
The round-up donations are used to provide people in need with medical assistance or food, or to finance additional payments for energy or rent.
"Rounding up" works directly at the checkouts in all BILLA, BILLA PLUS, PENNY, BIPA and Sutterlüty stores - or as a permanent "round up" at the checkout, set in the respective member app or in the customers account online.

The "Round up, please" initiative enables customers throughout Austria at BILLA, BILLA PLUS, PENNY, BIPA and Sutterlüty to quickly and easily make a significant contribution to directly help people in need. In the course of this unique project in food retailing and drugstores, more than 1.5 million euros have already been donated to charitable causes over the past 10 years by rounding up to the nearest 10-cent amount. REWE Group would like to express its sincere thanks to all customers for their solidarity and long-standing commitment.

"Personally, I am really particularly pleased that this initiative has developed into such a successful solidarity project. It was and still is a matter of concern to us to enable our customers to directly support the important work of Caritas in an uncomplicated way," said Marcel Haraszti, REWE International AG Management Board member. "As REWE Group, we have always been committed to social projects and are convinced that each individual can make a significant contribution even through small amounts, such as rounding up at the checkout. With the support of our customers, it is possible to help those in need of care, the elderly, and mothers and their children in emergency situations in particular."

"The project 'Round up, please!' shows that great things can also be achieved through many smaller amounts. We are grateful for the support we receive through this project. The donations collected make a significant difference in helping people in need," says Anna Parr, Secretary General of Caritas Austria.

Every cent counts

Customers of BILLA, BILLA PLUS, PENNY, BIPA and Sutterlüty have the opportunity to round up the amount of their purchase to the nearest full 10 cents (e.g.: € 14.63 to € 14.70) in every branch throughout Austria and thus donate the difference directly to Caritas. Every cent collected is used directly to support people in need. For example, the donations at BILLA and Sutterlüty go towards financial support for families in need and enable urgently needed therapies or serve to cover other medical costs. The rounded-up amounts at all BILLA PLUS stores are used for educational purposes, such as the Caritas learning cafés. At PENNY, the financial existence of elderly people in need is secured, among other things by means of additional payments for increased energy costs. Mothers and children in need also receive special support. For example, the cents rounded up at BIPA are used for basic baby equipment for (single) mothers and are used in mother-child homes.

Donations can be made simply by saying "Round up, please" at the checkout before paying. In order to be sure to do good with every purchase, a permanent "Round up, please" can also be set directly at the checkout as well as in the customer account of the websites and apps of the participating retail companies BILLA, BILLA PLUS, PENNY, BIPA and Sutterlüty.