"Customer focus, stability, and quality remain the cornerstones of our business"

The food trade is characterized by a dynamic market that is constantly influenced by political, economic, and climatic factors. Many issues from the past 25 years are still relevant today for the long-established Berlin-based company Weihe GmbH. The family business, based at the local wholesale market, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. "However, forward-looking ecological and economic management, efficient planning, and a high-performing team in the context of tradition and innovation have given us a 100-year success story, based on which we can look to the future with confidence," says Holger Schomacker, who took over the management of Weihe GmbH in 2025.

From market expansion to pandemic and digitalization
An absolute game changer in the company's history came with the rapid market expansion following the German reunification, explains Schomacker. "Berlin established itself as an important business location at the time, which also increased the variety of products. A related and ongoing issue is food transparency, which affects the entire supply chain. The high price pressure from growing large supermarket chains also remains an issue. New ecological trends regarding sustainable and transparent business practices, changes in consumer behavior, accompanied by high price sensitivity and increased bureaucratic effort, are also topics that are constantly evolving. As is well known, the global economic crisis led to a general decline in consumer spending. Not to be forgotten is the digital transformation, including in online retail, which was further accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic. This also resulted in the closure of many restaurants in our delivery area, a decline in tourism in Berlin, and disruptions to supply chains."

Since 1925, Weihe GmbH has been one of the largest suppliers of fresh produce in Berlin and Brandenburg, synonymous with quality and reliability. Back then, 100 years ago, the lack of a market for farm-grown fruit and vegetables was quickly recognized. The additional personal connection to agriculture formed the foundation for the first retail store. During the First World War, in addition to fresh produce, everyday necessities such as coffee and herrings were also sold. With the construction of the Berlin Wall and the temporary decline in walk-in customers, the company focused increasingly on the delivery sector, which continued to develop and ultimately led to the move and ongoing expansion on the fruit market grounds of Berlin's wholesale market. Today, around 300 highly motivated employees and a fleet of 44 delivery vehicles serve a customer base in the hotel and catering industry, communal catering, and food retail.

© Weihe GmbH
The fleet of 44 delivery vehicles serves a customer base in the hotel and catering industry, communal catering, and food retail.

Berlin as a central location for international exchange
The Berlin wholesale market is not only a hub for the food trade because of its good infrastructure connections in terms of national and international logistics. With its growing population, Berlin itself is considered an innovative location in terms of technological developments and future orientation, Schomacker emphasizes. "The continuously growing sales market creates high demand for fresh food in a dynamic gastronomic scene with international influences and consumers. In addition to comprehensive storage capacities for a wide range of products, the location at the Fruchthof offers us many refrigeration options in modern cold stores and, as a result, successful direct marketing from the location with efficient refrigerated transport logistics. We greatly appreciate the existing networks and cooperations, a large regional producer community in Brandenburg, and good delivery options for fast and efficient logistics. Ultimately, the wholesale market in Berlin is a central location for international exchange thanks to regular networking events, trade fairs, and other events."

Extreme weather, cost, competitive pressure, and bureaucracy
Like his colleagues, Schomacker looks back on an eventful 2025. "The extreme weather conditions, which, incidentally, were not limited to Germany, led to yield losses on the one hand and contributed to the storage and quality of the products being compromised on the other, e.g., due to excessive moisture. Of course, ongoing cost and competitive pressure, especially for labor-intensive crops such as asparagus and strawberries, combined with the labor shortage in these areas, were also an issue. Increasing bureaucracy and new regulations affecting packaging, labeling, reporting requirements, etc., are also raising administrative pressure. In general, fresh produce prices have risen steadily in 2025, to which consumers are also reacting sensitively and are more likely to buy promotional goods."

Nevertheless, Weihe GmbH will continue to present itself with a broad range of international products and a wide variety of varieties. The focus here is particularly on regional products. "We draw on our many years of experience in direct sales and strong national and international partnerships. Finally, we are proud of our highly trained and loyal team, which adapts dynamically and competently to constant changes in the market and customer requirements and successfully devises solutions."

"Stable and flexible supply chains are essential"
Based on current experience, consumers are increasingly looking for transparent, organically produced, and regional products, Schomacker continues. "We have been moving in this direction for decades and will continue to focus on it. We strongly believe that sustainability, regionality, and transparency will continue to be issues that are becoming increasingly important. Among other things, we see further developments in online food retail. We already successfully offer a platform for end consumers and use our own vehicle fleet and existing logistics solutions for delivery. We also keep a close eye on current trends toward a more plant-based diet and substitute products for milk and meat, which are likely to lead to a general change in society's eating habits in the long term."

Not to be forgotten are technological innovations such as the use of AI, smart farming, and general digitalization, which will continue to expand and have a comprehensive impact on areas of the food trade. Supply chain security will also remain an issue, believes Schomacker. "Stable and flexible supply chains are essential. Ultimately, the market is characterized by numerous dynamic transformations and challenges that will continue to need to be overcome in the future. For us at Weihe, tradition is very important. Customer focus, stability, and quality are the cornerstones of our business. We are always on the lookout for new developments and long-standing innovations, which is why strategic management and a motivated team are so important."

For more information:
Holger Schomacker© Weihe GmbH
Weihe GmbH
Wholesale Market Berlin
Phone +49 (0)30 39890-0
[email protected]
http://www.weihe.de