We are saddened to share this news with you. At the same time, it marks the beginning of a new chapter for us: From now on, we will be focusing all our energy on expanding our food rescue efforts online, so that even more food can be rescued from homes across Germany. We've written down the reasons for the closures, what we will miss, and what we are incredibly grateful for in our four years of running the food rescue market.
Rescued fruit and vegetables in the already closed rescue market at Berlin's Ostbahnhof
Why we are closing
The pandemic has left its mark on us as well. While many supermarkets have benefited, the changed shopping habits of consumers, due to our unique product range, have negatively impacted our offline sales. We tried everything, but these months of losses in our rescue markets are now taking their toll, which is why we had to make the difficult decision to focus exclusively on online food rescue. We are incredibly grateful to have rescued so much food together with so many dedicated rescue market heroes and loyal customers.
What else you need to know
Unfortunately, we can't yet tell you exactly when each Rettermarkt will close, but it will be no later than the end of September. All our Rettermarkt locations (Schlossstraße, Wilmersdorfer Straße, Bergmannstraße, Karl-Marx-Straße, East Side Mall) are affected. You can find current information on Instagram, both on our Rettermarkt account @sirplus.rettermaerkte and on our main account @sirplus.de. We'll also keep you updated there about special clearance sales – because our Rettermarkt stores need to be emptied. Our motto: Save what you can! We've also compiled a short list of frequently asked questions below to answer any questions you may have. Our FAQ section can also help. If you have any further questions, our Customer Happiness Team is here for you: support@sirplus.de.
View into the rescue market on Schlossstrasse
Immense gratitude: Reason 1
Food rescue – it's impossible without our customers. We are incredibly grateful that countless loyal people have supported our mission and our rescue efforts, saving huge quantities of food and believing in us. The daily contact, the appreciation, and the exchange are what have defined the SIRPLUS rescue market. We are all the more excited to now work with you, full of energy, to rescue even more food online – 24/7 at sirplus.de.
Immense gratitude: Reason 2
Until the very end, our dedicated team of Rettermarkt heroes, regional management, drivers, warehouse staff, facility management, and quality management gave their all to make rescuing food as enjoyable and pleasant as possible for you. They breathed life into the Rettermarkt stores, prepared fantastic promotions, and served you at the checkout – they were the heart of Rettermarkt's daily operations. It was an honor to work with such wonderful colleagues on our mission. We are saddened to lose such valuable members of our team. We will miss you and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your tireless, daily commitment.
The rescue market opened during the pandemic on Bergmannstrasse from the outside, visitors in the Friedrichshain branch in the East Side Mall and aisles full of rescued food on Schloßstrasse
Immense gratitude: Reason 3
In the last two years alone, we've saved so much food together! In 2020 and 2021, over 700,000 purchases were made in all our rescue markets. We are incredibly proud of this collective achievement.
Why we are optimistic about the future
Even though we have to leave behind so many positive experiences with our rescue markets, this creates even more space to focus on our online shop – a core business that, unlike our rescue markets, has experienced a boom, especially during the pandemic. At sirplus.de, we have already rescued approximately 5 million kilograms of food together. Our big goal is to rescue more food online than ever before. And that makes us more than optimistic for the future!
Q&A: Rescue market closureQ: What happens to neighborhood / friends & family cards?
A: Unfortunately, these cannot be redeemed further in the online shop and lose their value.
Q: What happens to full punch cards?
A: Unfortunately, these cannot be redeemed further in the online shop and lose their value.
Q: When will RM XY close? How will we keep customers informed about the closing date?
A: Customers can find out more about current information (including closing time, clearance sales) and also about the reasons for the closure on the Instagram account @sirplus.rettermaerkte .
Q: Will there be rescue markets again in the future?
A: Currently, we want to focus entirely on online rescue.
Q: Can deposit items be returned elsewhere? If so, where?
A: At all usual deposit return points.
Q: Will fruit and vegetables and chilled goods also be available online?
A: Customers can best stay up-to-date on this at sirplus.de and the Instagram account @sirplus.de .
