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Kaufland closes branch in Albstadt: 100 jobs at risk!
Kaufland is closing branches in Germany, but expanding to Brandenburg an der Havel. Hygiene deficiencies and new markets in focus.
Kaufland closes branch in Albstadt: 100 jobs at risk!
In a surprising turn of events, Kaufland announced the closure of its branch in Albstadt-Ebingen, Baden-Württemberg. This decision affects between 70 and 100 employees who will lose their jobs by the end of January 2026. Customers are faced with the challenge of finding alternative shopping options or having to travel longer distances to other Kaufland stores, such as Ruhr24 reported.
The branch on Kientenstrasse will be closed due to a planned renovation, which is expected to take three to four years. This closure is part of a broader strategy that also includes opening new stores in cities with more than 10,000 residents. However, details about these new locations are not yet announced. Kaufland currently operates 781 stores in Germany, including two new stores that opened in June 2025 in Brandenburg an der Havel and Heiligenhaus.
Hygiene scandals cast shadows
The closure announcement coincides with a worrying hygiene scandal that brought Kaufland into the headlines. In April 2025, a branch in Homburg was closed due to serious hygiene deficiencies, which is correlated with a comprehensive investigation by “Team Wallraff”. Over 80% of the branches tested had inadequate hygiene standards. This shows up in the form of dirty refrigerator shelves and even fecal bacteria on chicken meat, like this Euro Weekly News determines.
In total, more than 50 stores were visited undercover by the reporters, leading to an outcry from consumers and numerous negative comments on social media. Many customers stated that they no longer wanted to shop at Kaufland for the time being.
Reactions from Kaufland
In response to the allegations, Kaufland presented a 5-point plan that includes an investment of 500 million euros to improve the situation. The measures include annual upgrades to refrigeration units, thorough cleaning of all stores and staff training on product freshness and hygiene. In addition, qualified fresh trainers should be deployed at the fresh produce counters in order to establish new standards.
Kaufland plans to renovate the branch in Hamburg over the next six months and the one in Bad Tölz will also be closed at short notice for necessary adjustments. These steps are part of a larger quality MOT to prevent similar incidents in the future. The market management is also being replaced in order to bring a breath of fresh air into the company management IT Boltwise reported.
Kaufland CEO Jochen Kratz expressed concern about the investigation's findings, emphasizing that they do not meet the company's standards. Despite the challenges, Kaufland remains a leading provider in the industry, with the hope of regaining customer trust and successfully bridging the time until the affected branches reopen.