From the mailbox directly to the trash bin – the journey of paper brochures is alarmingly short in nearly 90% of German households – a huge waste of resources. Yet, the printed brochure remains the most important advertising medium for retailers, and one that many people had grown fond of over the years.
REWE was the first supermarket in Germany to say goodbye to paper brochures, thereby saying ‘hello’ to considerable savings for a better climate: 73,000 tons of paper, over 1 million tons of water and 70,000 tons of CO2e annually.
It worked! On the way to a more sustainable future for REWE, we led a nationwide shift – moving from analog to digital offer communication. Sales remained consistently high and even outperformed the overall market. Conclusion: We’ve changed a deeply rooted consumer behaviour.
The French supermarket chain L'Eclerc was inspired by REWE and has since eliminated paper brochures. In Germany, an Edeka retailer followed suit, and even the Deutsche Post said goodbye to “Einkauf Aktuell”. Thanks to REWE, the most significant change in advertising media has now taken place.