Germany’s Kaufland is preparing to enter the Italian e-commerce market with the launch of Kaufland.it, an online marketplace scheduled to go live by the end of the summer. The move marks a significant step in the retailer’s broader push to expand its digital footprint across Europe.
A subsidiary of the Schwarz Group — which also owns Lidl — Kaufland is positioning itself as a competitive alternative to dominant e-commerce platforms, offering Italian consumers access to millions of products across more than 6,400 categories.
The marketplace will operate on a partner model, with third-party vendors listing and selling their products under their names. Customers will be able to view pricing, product details, and vendor information, while fulfilment will be handled directly by sellers. A single seller registration will grant access to Kaufland’s entire European network of marketplaces.
KAUFLAND EXPANSION STRATEGY TARGETS KEY EUROPEAN MARKETS
Kaufland’s entry into Italy comes alongside plans to launch a similar platform in France later this year, as the retailer accelerates efforts to establish a presence in the continent’s largest e-commerce markets.
“This is a key milestone in our expansion strategy and brings us closer to our goal of becoming Europe’s leading online platform,” said Gerald Schönbucher, executive board member for Kaufland e-commerce.
CENTRALIZED PLATFORM POWERS CROSS-BORDER GROWTH
At the heart of Kaufland’s international strategy is the Kaufland Global Marketplace, a proprietary, all-in-one system that enables sellers to manage listings, orders, and product data across multiple markets through a single interface. The platform also provides localization tools, including automated translation, currency conversion, and local-language customer support.
Kaufland estimates that its total online customer reach, currently at 81 million, could rise to nearly 140 million by the end of the summer.
KAUFLAND: GROWING FOOTPRINT ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
Already one of Germany’s largest marketplaces — with more than 32 million monthly visitors and an offering exceeding 45 million products — Kaufland is also expanding rapidly in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Austria. Its entry into the Italian market is seen as a strategic move to consolidate its position within Europe’s fragmented but fast-growing e-commerce landscape.