Rewe and Kaufland Outspend Edeka as Ad Market Ticks Up
TL;DR: German companies spent nearly €3.4 billion on advertising in September 2026, with Rewe and Kaufland overtaking Edeka after Edeka cut its spend, according to Horizont's analysis of Nielsen data.
What happened
Horizont's 19 October 2026 analysis of Nielsen data found that German companies spent nearly €3.4 billion on advertising in September 2026 across TV and cinema, print, out-of-home and radio. Within that, Rewe and Kaufland overtook Edeka at the top after Edeka cut its spend.
Meanwhile Procter & Gamble, Deutsche Telekom and Volkswagen all increased their investment. Nielsen recorded rising TV ad pressure in September and revised its August growth figure upward from 0.9% to 1.6%, pointing to a market that is edging up rather than treading water.
Market share is bought in the quiet months
The headline is not the €3.4 billion total; it is the reshuffle at the top of grocery. Edeka cut spend and promptly lost its lead to Rewe and Kaufland. In a category where brand presence and promotional noise directly drive footfall, going quiet is rarely a saving. It is a surrender of share-of-voice that rivals are happy to absorb.
This is the oldest rule in media, borne out in real time: in a growing market, the brand that pulls back hands its visibility to the one that leans in. Rewe and Kaufland did not necessarily out-create Edeka; they out-committed it at the moment Edeka blinked.
Why the big spenders are leaning in
The fact that Procter & Gamble, Deutsche Telekom and Volkswagen raised spend while the market grew is a signal worth reading. These are disciplined advertisers who track effectiveness closely, and their decision to invest into a rising market suggests they see demand firming rather than softening.
Nielsen's upward revision of August growth, from 0.9% to 1.6%, reinforces the point. When the base is being corrected upward and TV pressure is rising, the environment rewards presence. The brands increasing budgets are positioning to capture a recovery before the cost of attention climbs with it.
What marketers should take from this
Cutting advertising to protect short-term margin is the most expensive saving in marketing, because the share-of-voice you give up is bought back later at a premium. Edeka's slide down the ranking is a live case study in how quickly a pullback shows up in competitive position.
If your market is growing, treat that as a reason to defend your voice, not an excuse to coast on it. Rising ad pressure means the cost of being heard is going up, so the brands that commit early lock in attention before it gets more expensive. Timing your investment to the cycle matters as much as the size of it.
For smaller players the lesson is the same at smaller scale: watch where incumbents go quiet and move into the gap. The grocery reshuffle shows that leadership in share-of-voice is more fluid than it looks, and that a competitor's retreat is an open invitation.
Quick FAQ
How much did German companies spend on advertising in September 2026?
Nearly €3.4 billion across TV and cinema, print, out-of-home and radio, according to Horizont's analysis of Nielsen data.
Which retailers now lead German ad spend?
Rewe and Kaufland overtook Edeka at the top after Edeka cut its advertising budget.
Is the German ad market growing?
Nielsen recorded rising TV ad pressure in September and revised August growth upward from 0.9% to 1.6%, indicating a market edging up.
Edeka cut spend and lost its crown in a single month. That's the oldest rule in media playing out live: in a growing market, the brand that goes quiet hands its visibility straight to the one that leans in. Cutting ad budget to protect margin is the most expensive saving there is. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
In a rising market, pulling back on advertising doesn't save money, it gifts your share-of-voice to the competitor willing to spend.
Where are your competitors going quiet right now, and are you ready to move into the gap?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: HORIZONT, Nielsen
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
