The Bundeskartellamt has today cleared the takeover of the online beverage delivery service Flaschenpost SE (flaschenpost.de) by the Radeberger Gruppe which is part of the Dr. Oetker corporation.

Andreas Mundt, President of the Bundeskartellamt: “The market shares achieved both individually and jointly by the Radeberger Gruppe and Flaschenpost in the alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage retail sector do not raise any competition concerns. Even if beverage delivery services in some large urban areas (Berlin, Münster, Düsseldorf, Cologne) are examined separately, the numerous companies active in the food and beverage retail sector will still exert sufficient competitive pressure. Customers of online beverage delivery services will continue to have sufficient options for switching supplier. A pro-competitive aspect is the fact that the delivery service provides Radeberger with an additional opportunity to gain direct access to end consumers, which reduces its dependence on distribution via the large food retail chains.”

The Dr. Oetker group, which achieves worldwide turnovers of 7.4 billion euros, includes a large German brewery group (Radeberger Gruppe) and a major producer of sparkling wine (Henkell/Freixenet). Radeberger Gruppe is also the largest operator of beverage pick-up outlets operating independently of the food retail sector: The group runs more than 500 beverage pick-up outlets (in particular Getränke Hoffmann and the Lippert group) as well as its own online beverage delivery service, durstexpress.de.

Founded in Münster in 2012, Flaschenpost SE supplies beverages to its customers exclusively online via its website and app. After temporarily ceasing operations in spring 2015 and resuming business activities in 2016, Flaschenpost has expanded its business from Münster to many other cities.

In the Bundeskartellamt’s view, the merger will not significantly impede effective competition. So far the economic activities of the two companies have only overlapped in some cities. There are numerous other beverage stores in these regions and also many other brick-and-mortar or online-based beverage delivery services. In particular, special online beverage delivery platforms are available to provide the technology which traditional beverage suppliers need in order to be able to gain reach online and operate an online beverage delivery service.

Buying beverages from beverage delivery services, which is increasingly done based on online orders and cashless payment, has not only increased strongly due to the Covid crisis. This option is particularly popular with urban customers who cannot or do not wish to use a car. However, German customers still generally purchase more than 80 per cent of all alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages from general food retailers, including discounters, and otherwise they predominantly buy from beverage pick-up outlets. In this overall beverage retail sector, the parties to the merger only account for a share of well below 5 per cent. With regard to competition with the food retailers, the effects achieved by strengthening the position of an online beverage delivery service through the participation of a large beverage producer also include positive aspects.