50 Years on the Road and Rails: REWE Group in Austria and Gebrüder Weiss Celebrate Half a Century of Partnership

• Gebrüder Weiss has been delivering to stores operated by REWE retail brands BILLA, BILLA PLUS, PENNY, BIPA, and ADEG since 1976. Today, the partnership serves a total of 753 stores and gas stations across six Austrian states. 
   
• In 2025, Gebrüder Weiss transported approximately one million roll containers for REWE Group – equivalent to nearly 20,000 truckloads annually and an average of 80 per day. 
   
• Eighteen years on the rails: The Orange Combi Cargo freight train eliminates 66 truck trips each day and reduces annual CO2 emissions by approximately 9,000 metric tons.

What began in 1976 with four truckloads per week bound for Austria’s Pinzgau and Pongau regions has become one of the longest-standing logistics partnerships in the Austrian grocery retail sector. For 50 years, Gebrüder Weiss has reliably delivered goods to REWE’s retail businesses. In 2025, the logistics company supplied 753 stores and gas stations across six Austrian states, averaging 80 truckloads per operating day. The partnership has grown on the road and expanded into rail. For eighteen years, the partners have used Orange Combi Cargo to transport REWE Group goods by rail across Austria, making an important contribution to a more climate-friendly supply chain.

Growing Together: From Wiener Neudorf to Lake Constance
In 1976, Gebrüder Weiss began transporting goods from REWE’s central distribution center in Wiener Neudorf to the Pinzgau and Pongau regions. Deliveries to North Tyrol followed in 1979 and Vorarlberg in 1982. The partnership continued to expand with the opening of REWE distribution centers in Stams in 2001 and Ohlsdorf in 2013.

Today, the delivery network stretches from Lower Austria to Vorarlberg. In 2025, Gebrüder Weiss transported approximately 900,000 roll containers for store distribution and another 100,000 for transfers between distribution centers. This equates to nearly 20,000 truckloads per year – a significant increase in transport volume since the partnership began.

“Fifty years of working together is something special. Our customers count on finding fresh groceries and well-stocked shelves every day – from Lake Constance to the Vienna Basin. That takes a tremendous logistics effort, and for half a century, we have been able to count on Gebrüder Weiss as a reliable partner. I am particularly pleased with the progress we have made together in sustainable logistics. Eighteen years of rail transport demonstrate that a reliable supply chain and climate protection can go hand in hand,” says Christian Hörner, Managing Director of Lager & Transport, REWE International AG.

“What started as four truckloads per week has grown to 80 per day. This growth shows how trust and reliability sustain a partnership. Over the past 50 years, we have expanded into new regions together, refined our logistics processes, and broken new ground with rail transport. For us, this partnership demonstrates what long-term collaboration can achieve. We look forward to continuing this journey together in the decades ahead,” says Wolfram Senger-Weiss, CEO of Gebrüder Weiss.

Eighteen Years of Rail Transport: Reducing Annual CO2 Emissions by 9,000 Metric Tons
The partners have relied on intermodal transportation since 2008, using Orange Combi Cargo (OCC) to move goods by rail to eastern Austria. The 600-meter-long train operates Monday through Friday year-round, combining the strengths of rail and road transportation to keep goods moving.

The benefits are measurable: The service eliminates 66 truck trips per day, easing road traffic while reducing CO2 emissions by approximately 9,000 metric tons annually. The rail freight partnership has received multiple honors for this commitment, including the TRIGOS Award, the State of Vorarlberg’s Climate Protection Award, and the Austrian State Prize.