German grocery retailer Edeka and the founders of discount group Aldi, Karl and the late Theo Albrecht, have been recognised for their respective contributions to the German economy by the German Trade Association (HDE) at its annual congress meeting in Berlin.
The Albrecht brothers received a Lifetime Achievement award, while Edeka was presented with the German Retail Prize 2011.
'The four letters Aldi represent a history of success for German retail and for the incomparable success of the business that the Albrecht brothers built following the war,' commented HDE president Josef Sanktjohanser.
Meanwhile, the awards' judging panel, which comprises some of the country's leading business figures, said Edeka had continued to stand for stability and the creation of jobs and places of training, 'even in economically turbulent times'.
According to the jury, the company's network of small- and medium-sized grocers – part of Germany's renowned so-called Mittelstand had shown a closeness to its customers and a high level of awareness when it came to quality.
'Edeka is an entrepreneurial company that is run as a cooperative of small- and medium-sized operators,' said a spokesperson for the panel.
'Every day, approximately 4,500 independent merchants and 300,000 employees contribute towards the company's success and its performance leadership in German food retailing.'
The panel said that Edeka's entrepreneurial spirit was based on a commitment to high quality and service, paired with a convincing approach to price versus performance.
The company's 'We love food' motto was singled out for praise, with a broad range of branded and private label goods offering what was described as the highest level of enjoyment and excellent service across fresh food categories.
Accepting Edeka's award, chief executive Markus Mosa welcomed the accolade on behalf of all cooperative's member merchants.
'Our heart is in the small- and medium-sized enterprises, and it is here where the real management performance has been,' he said.
