He started out 42 years ago with a small shop inside a drugstore. Today, he is Germany’s second-largest organic food retailer, supplying 15,000 stores in 18 countries and generating more than 1.2 billion euros in annual revenue with his Alnatura brand. Götz Rehn achieved this through strict frugality, aggressive pricing, and a clear corporate mission: “Good for people and the planet.” What may sound a bit lofty at first actually seems to resonate with the market. According to surveys, Alnatura has the most satisfied customers in the entire food retail sector today and is growing against the trend.
Alnatura founder Götz Rehn explains how he does this in a detailed podcast interview. The 76-year-old also discusses why he considers advertising unnecessary, how his former sponsor, dm Drogeriemarkt, nearly drove him into bankruptcy, and why organic products are, in reality, anything but expensive.