Schwarz Group: 3.7 billion euros for Germany – a commitment!

Schwarz Group: 3.7 billion euros for Germany – a commitment!

The Schwarz Group, the conglomerate behind well-known brands such as Lidl and Kaufland, is optimistic about the future and is sticking to Germany as a location. Despite the challenges that many companies are struggling with, the group remains an important pillar of the German economy. Gerd Chrzanowski, who heads the Schwarz Group, emphasizes: “We firmly believe in Germany as a location” – a statement that gives hope in the current situation.

In 2024, the Schwarz Group generated total sales of 175.4 billion euros, which corresponds to an amount of over 130 billion euros for the Lidl branches and around 35 billion euros for Kaufland. This corresponds to a sales increase of 4.9 percent compared to the previous year. One more reason to remain optimistic when looking at the numbers: around 20,000 new jobs were created, around 4,000 of them in Germany alone. The group now employs around 595,000 people worldwide, as schwarz-gruppe.de reports.

A strong commitment in Germany

The Schwarz Group's investments are equally impressive. In 2025, around 3.7 billion euros are planned for Germany alone - that's 400 million euros more than in the previous year. This sum is part of the total investment volume of 9.6 billion euros that the group is planning for the entire financial year. Compared to the investment total of over 30 billion euros in the last ten years, there is a strong commitment to Germany as a location that cannot be dismissed.

However, the Schwarz Group feels the competition. More and more German companies are moving production steps abroad to avoid higher taxes and costs. The mechanical engineering company Herrenknecht, for example, invests primarily outside Germany. But the Schwarz Group wants to counteract this and is strengthening its production capacities with new locations, such as a nut roasting plant in Rheine and a beverage factory in Derby, Great Britain.

Family business in focus

Family businesses play a central role in the German economy. According to ey.com, Europe ranks first among the top 500 family businesses. Almost 20 percent of these companies are active in industrial manufacturing, which underlines Germany's importance. These companies not only offer a large number of jobs, but are often successful for generations. 85 percent of the listed family businesses have a history of over 50 years, and over a third have even existed for more than 100 years.

The Schwarz Group itself, founded in 1930, is a prime example of a long-term thinking company. The trust in our own strengths and the stability of Germany as a location is reflected not only in business development, but also in the number of newly created jobs and the extensive investments. A good knack for future-proof strategies is more than required here.

Overall, the Schwarz Group remains an important player in the German economy and maintains its position as a central employer, while many other companies are flirting with relocating abroad. At a time when economic change and uncertainty are the order of the day, the Schwarz Group's commitment can be seen as a positive signal for Germany as a location. This is worth its weight in gold for our region and economy.

Please also visit the detailed reports from [merkur.de](https://www.merkur.de/wirtschaft/deutschland-bleibt-zentrum-fuer-familienunternehmen-mit-575-000-arbeitern-wir- Glauben-fest-an-den-standort-93805137.html) and the schwarz-gruppe.de for further information on the development and future of family businesses in Germany.