Rewe Group Drops Its Red-and-Yellow Square in a Full Corporate Rebrand
Updated: 6 days ago
TL;DR: Germany's Rewe Group has retired its long-standing red-and-yellow square logo and introduced a new corporate design and mission statement built for the digital era.
A holding-level refresh, not a supermarket makeover
Rewe Group has unveiled a modernised corporate brand — a new logo, mission statement and visual identity — developed by Studio Jörn Beyer together with the group. The redesign retires the familiar red-and-yellow square and gives the word "Group" equal visual weight to "Rewe."
Crucially, this is a change at holding-company level. It is distinct from the Rewe supermarket branding shoppers see on the high street; the aim is to sharpen the identity of the parent cooperative, one of Europe's largest retail and tourism groups.
Designed for screens first
The explicit goal is a brand fit for digital channels. The old square was built for a print-and-storefront era; the new identity is designed to work across apps, screens and digital touchpoints where a parent brand increasingly meets investors, partners and talent.
Marketing Minute's read: this is where big retailers now place brand equity — not only on the shelf, but across the digital surfaces that carry the corporate story. A holding brand that looks dated on a screen quietly undersells the group behind it.
A phased rollout as a brand statement
Rewe is rolling the change out gradually, using up existing materials rather than forcing an overnight switch — a deliberate nod to resource conservation.
That phasing is itself a message. A hard cutover means binning signage, packaging and print in one go; a phased approach protects both budget and sustainability credentials. For a cooperative that trades partly on responsibility, the how of the rebrand reinforces the what.
What other retailers can borrow
The transferable playbook: refresh for digital first, then let physical assets age out on their own schedule. Design the identity around its most demanding modern use — small screens, dark mode, motion — not around a letterhead.
Separate the corporate brand from the consumer brand deliberately. The two do different jobs for different audiences, and conflating them often waters both down.
And resist the urge to make the relaunch a spectacle of waste. "Phased, digital-first, low-waste" is a more defensible story in 2026 than a billboard-sized bonfire of old logos.
Quick FAQ
Is Rewe changing its supermarket logo?
No. This is a corporate rebrand at Rewe Group (holding) level, distinct from the Rewe supermarket branding on stores.
Who designed the new Rewe Group identity?
Studio Jörn Beyer, working with Rewe Group, created the new logo, mission statement and visual identity.
Why is the rollout gradual?
To use up existing materials and conserve resources, avoiding a wasteful overnight cutover.
The detail I'd copy here isn't the logo — it's the restraint. Rewe is phasing the switch and using up old materials instead of torching them. A rebrand doesn't have to be a bonfire of assets; done this way it protects both the budget and the sustainability story you're trying to tell. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
Design your next identity for the screen it will live on most, and phase the rollout so you protect both budget and sustainability credentials.
Would your corporate brand still look convincing if the first place anyone met it was a phone screen?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: HORIZONT, turi2, freshplaza.
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
