Cologne wholesale market: 130 years of tradition ends - retailers are looking for new ways!

Cologne wholesale market: 130 years of tradition ends - retailers are looking for new ways!

The Cologne wholesale market in Raderthal is facing significant change. After 130 years, the traditional Zimmermann company, known for its fruit trade, has finally cleared its stands in the wholesale market hall. Pino Aronica from the company emphasizes that the company continues to deliver from its own refrigerated warehouse on the wholesale market site, but the move is another sign of the changes to come. The hall, which has played a central role in supplying 5,000 catering and retail customers since it opened, is no longer up to date and is in urgent need of renovation, as was discovered in 2018 when cracks and signs of wear and tear were documented. This renovation is directly linked to the planned move to Marsdorf in the west of Cologne, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025, but is progressing slowly so far, as WDR reports.

What will happen to the wholesale market hall? The Cologne council decided to relocate the area to Marsdorf back in 2007, but there has been little progress since then. The city had to admit that the economic development agency had little success in finding new properties. Some dealers offered their support to independently find new locations in districts such as Gremberghoven and Poll. However, the outdated hall will not simply be shut down; Instead, there are plans to redevelop the old wholesale market hall in Raderthal as part of the “Parkstadt Süd” project and to build a “market hall for everyone” that will be open to the public, according to reports 24rhein and Stadt Cologne.

An era is coming to an end

The wholesale market has a long history. It was opened in 1940 at its current location in Bonntor and has developed into an economic backbone of the region. Around 300,000 tons of goods are sold there every year, which underlines the enormous importance of the market. The construction quality of the hall, which was built in the 1930s, is considered exemplary, not least because of the shell construction, which still gives the building stability today. But times have changed and the demands on modern trading venues have increased. The noticeable damage, which may even be due to the effects of war, makes moving unavoidable.

The challenges that retailers now face cannot be underestimated. While the wholesale market is in dissolution, weekly market traders and restaurateurs will inevitably have to travel throughout the city to do their shopping. This will not only affect your daily processes, but also the entire sales structure in Cologne. In addition, the nearest wholesale market remains the central point of contact in Venlo, in the neighboring Netherlands, which could increase dependence on foreign markets.

Overall, the wholesale market in Cologne faces an uncertain future. The move to Marsdorf could bring a breath of fresh air, but until that happens, it remains to be seen how the transition phase will be organized and what solutions will be found for the retailers. However, one thing is certain: the story of the Cologne wholesale market is far from over.