The retail company Kaufland has opened its first branch in Gelsenkirchen, bringing a previously disused commercial property back into active use. The opening of the store creates more than 150 jobs at the site and in the surrounding region. The retailer provides a sales area of around 6,000 square metres on site, carrying a product range of over 36,000 items.
Alongside classic branded goods and own brands, the product range includes organic, Fairtrade and specialist dietary products. A particular emphasis is placed on local convenience with regional produce: around 400 items originate from suppliers within a maximum radius of 30 kilometres. The sales area is complemented by extensive fresh food sections, service counters for meat, cold meats, cheese and antipasti, as well as an in-house bakery producing more than 100 fresh baked goods every day.
Space synergies and complementary tenant mix
The site was designed as a multifunctional local convenience centre. A catering module from Sushi Circle has been integrated directly into the main sales area. Other specialist retailers and service providers have taken up space in separate leased units within the building. These include the Zipper bakery, the catering concept ChopStx, a tobacconist, lottery and newsagent shop, the clothing chain Ernsting´s family, the home furnishing retailer JYSK, and a parcel locker station from the provider myflexbox. In this context, store manager Gökhan Kuruel emphasised that bundling diverse offerings sustainably revitalises the location for the local population.
For private transport, more than 400 ground-level car parking spaces are available on the premises. In addition, charging infrastructure for electric vehicles with two charging points has been installed. The branch serves customers from Monday to Saturday between 7 and 22.
Checkout technology and energy-efficient building management
In operating the retail space, the company relies on a combination of traditional and digitalised processes. Alongside seven conventional checkouts, ten self-service checkouts are available. These form the basis for the mobile K-Scan system, which allows customers to scan their goods using a hand scanner or smartphone while shopping and complete the payment process with minimal contact.
The interior design is characterised by light wood, contemporary colour tones and a coordinated lighting concept. Modern building services have also been installed: all refrigerators and freezers are fitted with doors or sliding glass covers to prevent cold air loss. The waste heat produced by the refrigeration units is not expelled unused, but is fed directly into the central ventilation system to heat and air-condition the sales area in an energy-efficient manner.
