“Even in challenging economic conditions, we have consistently pursued our sustainability goals and made significant progress. We would like to extend our special thanks to our employees across all areas of the company, who bring sustainability to life every day and actively drive it forward. As one of the country’s largest employers and apprenticeship providers, we also take targeted action to promote diversity, equal opportunities and inclusion in the workplace. With the 2025 Sustainability Report, we are making our progress transparent whilst also defining our priorities for the future,” said Marcel Haraszti and Michael Jäger, members of the Executive Board of REWE International AG.
REWE Group in Austria: 69.5% of staff are women; over 1,000 employees with disabilities
With 45,169 employees, the REWE Group in Austria was one of the country’s largest employers in 2025. 69.5 per cent of the workforce – around 31,000 skilled workers – are women. In 2025, the REWE Group in Austria employed 1,090 staff members with disabilities, more than 900 of whom worked at BILLA. The food retailer thus met the 4 per cent employment target for 2024 and 2025.
BIPA is leading the way in women’s health
BIPA has been increasingly committed to the issue of women’s health for many years. Of BIPA’s approximately 4,000 employees, 98 per cent are women. Since 2025, the specialist drugstore retailer has been providing its female employees with their full annual requirement of free period products in the form of vouchers. In addition, BIPA is taking numerous measures to tackle period poverty and promotes education for young people on the subject of menstruation.
In 2025, BIPA conducted a study on women’s health among 1,548 people aged between 14 and 75 in Austria. According to the study, 88 per cent of women, but only half of men, are interested in women’s health. Furthermore, the study revealed gaps in knowledge and taboos surrounding the female cycle and sexuality. For example, 40% of those surveyed did not know how long the female cycle lasts.
To complement the study, the specialist drugstore retailer launched the ‘Ehrlich gesagt’ initiative in 2025 to promote a broad public discourse on women’s health issues.
Deposit collection card and deposit donations
In addition to upgrading its reverse vending machines as part of the introduction of the single-use deposit scheme, the REWE Group has implemented further measures in Austria. PENNY was the first discount retailer in Austria to introduce a digital deposit collection card. Customers receive one point for every returnable bottle or can they return. Once they have collected 50 points, they receive a 10 per cent discount voucher on their next purchase.
As part of the ‘Dein Pfand fürs Land’ donation initiative, BILLA has been offering its customers the opportunity since May 2025 to support nature conservation projects run by Blühendes Österreich – the non-profit private foundation established 10 years ago by BILLA and BirdLife Austria. Thanks to the low-threshold donation process, which takes place immediately after returning containers to the machine, a total of around 321,805 euros has been raised.
The “Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Einkaufsgenossenschaften” (ADEG), which celebrated its 130th anniversary in 2025, also launched a nationwide fundraising campaign across 220 stores following the introduction of the single-use deposit system. Since then, customers have been able to drop their deposit receipts into a designated box after shopping, thereby supporting local organisations or associations personally selected by ADEG retailers.
Three times the growth in net organic turnover
For customers, the origin and production conditions of food are playing an increasingly important role. At BILLA, BILLA PLUS, BILLA Kaufleute and the BILLA online shop alone, net sales of organic products rose more than three times as much as net sales of conventional products between 2024 and 2025. Despite economically challenging times, the share of organic products at BILLA and BILLA PLUS stood at 12% and 12.7% respectively in 2025.
The food retailer thus remains steadfastly committed to its chosen course. Since 2020, BILLA has been the only food retailer in Austria to offer exclusively fresh meat sourced 100% from Austria. Since 2023, customers in all BILLA and BILLA PLUS stores have been offered only meat meeting animal welfare standards when purchasing fresh meat from the counter. In the conventional sector, the products comply with the ‘Fair zum Tier!’ standards or the highest ‘Ja! Natürlich’ organic standards. Animal welfare is no longer a niche market at BILLA and accounts for more than 50 per cent of sales revenue.
Plant-based and ‘Vegavita Free From’ claims
Plant-based foods are playing an increasingly important role in the lives of Austrians. With Vegavita, BILLA set a key milestone in the plant-based sector more than 20 years ago. Since then, the brand has continued to evolve and currently comprises 89 purely plant-based products – 18 of which meet organic standards (20 per cent). In 2025, the ‘Vegavita Free From’ promise was implemented: all Vegavita products available in stores are free from added preservatives, flavour enhancers, artificial flavourings, palm oil and hydrogenated fats.
The full 2025 Sustainability Report of the REWE Group in Austria is available at Nachhaltigkeitsbericht 2025 | REWE Group in Österreich .
