A service from IMPLENEX

Turning international food products into DACH retail growth.

A structured path into DACH food retail — from market entry strategy and first listings to the scalable growth that follows.

THE DACH GAP

A great product is the first step — towards conquering a new market.

DACH is the EU’s largest food retail market — and one of the most demanding. Market entry rarely fails because of the product. It fails because of access.

01 — STRUCTURE

Fragmented retail

ive retail worlds, each with its own buyers, listing windows, and commercial logic

02 — COMPLIANCE

Regulations

European food standards apply from day one — compliance is an entry requirement, not an afterthought

03 — COMPETITION

High competition

The EU’s largest food market. Shelf space is contested — and without buyer access, even strong products go unseen

HOW ENTRY WORKS

From strategy to retail — in three steps.

You decide where you start. We deliver every step to measurable market results.

1

Market Entry Strategy

Market & competitor analysis, pricing and positioning for DACH, a clear entry plan including channel and margin structure

Result: a solid market entry plan instead of guesswork.

2

Retail Access & Growth

Direct access to retail buyers, listing negotiations, key-account steering, sell-in optimisation

Result: products on the shelf — and a plan to keep them there.

3

Launch & Operations

Supply chain and distribution setup, market launch coordination, promotion and trade activation, optional e-commerce

Result: a deliverable, scalable market presence.

Each module can be booked on its own or as a continuous path — you only pay for work actually delivered.

Why IMPLENEX

We know the doors — because we've opened them ourselves.

Access across every relevant DACH retail channel, backed by over 20 years of go-to-market and sales experience.

DACH market access

From classic retail through discount and drugstore to organic and premium.

Commercial depth

Entry strategy, positioning, listing negotiations, scalable sales structures.

End-to-end launch

Launch planning, supply-chain setup, logistics and retail coordination from one team.

Long-term growth partnership

Expansion, sell-in optimisation, trade activation, performance management beyond launch.

Market access isn’t a promise — it’s a network of relationships that hold, from the first buyer meeting to the listing. We open that network for your product so you don’t have to rely on cold outreach and chance.

CLASSIC
REWE · EDEKA · Kaufland
Discount
Lidl · Aldi
Drug Store
dm · Rossmann · Müller
Organic
Denn’s · Alnatura
Premium / Specialty
Specialty trade

Shown as target and access channels — access to and experience with these retail worlds, not a client list.

Bowls of gourmet food specialities on a wooden table — visual motif of the DACH market-entry best case.
PROOF · ONE COMPLETE PATH

How an unknown product became a listed DACH brand.

Premium fine food from South Africa — from founding to exit, end-to-end.

A high-quality product, an unknown brand, a new market — with no customer base and no existing infrastructure. The team took charge of the entire market entry process: go-to-market strategy, brand building, licensing and import issues — including compliance with European food standards applicable directly at the production site — as well as distribution through retail, trade shows, and e-commerce. Within three years, what began as an idea evolved into a distinct brand with marketing and logistics platforms — culminating in a successful sale to a strategic buyer during the scaling phase. This is not a remote consulting engagement. It is a market entry that we executed ourselves, from the initial idea through to the exit.

Industry · Premium fine foodRegion · DACHTimeline · 3 J., founding → ExitRole · Founder & strategic GTM-Lead
ReferencesFurther references and verification contacts available on request.
TEAM & ENDORSEMENT

The people behind the path.

Over 20 years from go-to-market consulting, international food business, and retail sales — delivered by a lean team that gets to the point.

Robert Kales, Managing Partner of IMPLENEX.

Robert Kales

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Commercial Growth — builds bridges between companies and countries, leads growth programmes across diverse markets

Stefan Fröhlich, Managing Partner of IMPLENEX.

Stefan Fröhlich

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Go-to-market & channel strategy — from market entry architecture to brand marketing and online sales.

Simon Dietz, Senior Partner of IMPLENEX.

Simon Dietz

Senior Partner

DACH retail access — gets products onto shelves and keeps them there: listing negotiations, key account, sell-in steering.

IMPLENEX Food is led by the same partners who take brands into the market and onto the shelf. We work flexibly and digitally — and we’re on site in person wherever it creates the most value for your business. With a lean setup and a clear focus on results over overhead, you speak directly with decision-makers — not a chain of project managers.

HOW WE WORK

You choose the scope. We share the risk.

A modular model, tailored to your situation — with performance-based components and full cost transparency.

Modular

Start at any point

You choose which modules you need — strategy, listing, launch, or the full path.”

Performance-based

Aligned to results

Part of our compensation kicks in only when listings are secured. Our interests are tied to your market success.

Transparent

No hidden costs

Billing only for work actually delivered. No upfront commitments without clear value.

Each module is scoped and priced individually based on your needs — you decide what you need and pay only for what we actually deliver. Part of our compensation is performance-based and kicks in only when listings are secured. That keeps our interests aligned with your market success — and makes entry into DACH calculable for you, instead of putting you at risk with upfront costs. Specific terms are discussed individually.

THE FIRST STEP

Let's bring your product to DACH.

A 30-minute intro call is enough to assess market entry and possible next steps — no commitment.

Tell us briefly about your product and your target market. We’ll give you a straight answer on where entry stands, what’s realistic, and what a first step could look like.

— or send us a message —