German supermarket chain Kaufland pulls out of Australian market

European supermarket chain Kaulfland have announced they are pulling out of the Australian market.

The German retailer was due to open stores across Australia this year and a number of sites had already been purchased.

But in a statement today, the company, which has 200 employees in Australia, has announced it will be undertaking an “orderly withdrawal” from the Australian market.

The supermarket chain had planned to roll out nine stores in locations across Victoria, including in Bendigo and Warrnambool.

“This was not an easy decision for us,” Frank Schumann, the acting CEO of Kaufland International said.

“We always felt welcome in Australia. We would like to thank our employees and we apologise for the disruption this decision will cause.”

Owned by the German Swharz Group, Kaufland is the fourth-largest food and grocery retailer in the world.

In a statement, the company said it will be “concentrating its business on its European core markets in the foreseeable future”.

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