E-charging stations at supermarkets: why it's worth investing now for retailers

Shopping and charging electric cars – what is becoming a convenient everyday activity for customers is a strategic decision with future potential for the retail sector.

The picture is now familiar in many supermarket parking lots: white markings, modern charging points but hardly any cars actually charging. According to the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW), only around 14.5% of the approximately 134,000 public charging points across Germany are occupied at the same time. And yet retailers continue to invest heavily in charging infrastructure, but why?

The expansion of charging infrastructure is no longer a voluntary service for retail companies. According to the German Building Electromobility Infrastructure Act, parking lots with more than 20 parking spaces have had to be equipped with at least one charging point since 2025. Even stricter requirements apply to new buildings and renovations. In addition, there is the EU EPBD Directive, which will further tighten the requirements for the overall efficiency of buildings from 2026. This is because electric car charging points improve the overall efficiency of buildings by promoting the switch to electromobility and making energy consumption more sustainable.

However, many retailers are going above and beyond the minimum legal requirements. 75% of companies had already installed charging points by the start of 2024, and the trend is rising. But where does this ambition come from?

The motivation is obvious: while shopping in the supermarket is inviting, charging the e-car offers an additional incentive. According to a survey by the EHI Retail Institute, 77% of the retail companies surveyed cite customer loyalty as the main reason for setting up charging infrastructure. Added to this are ESG goals and positioning as a sustainable location.

EnBW, Pfalzwerke and other energy suppliers are already recording increasing utilization of the charging infrastructure. Even though the short-term boom has been slowed down by the end of the e-car subsidy in 2023, many expect the market to recover – and are investing counter-cyclically. This is because a fundamental structural shift away from combustion engines towards e-mobility is still expected in the long term.

The majority of retailers do not operate the charging stations themselves. Instead, the parking space is leased to energy suppliers, a model that minimizes effort and risk. Rewe, for example, works with EnBW, Shell and Total Energies and does not operate its own charging infrastructure. Pfalzwerke also offers an “all-round carefree” package. Planning, construction and operation come from a single source. For the retail sector, this means additional services for customers and regular lease income.

Free charging was once upon a time. Almost all retailers now charge standard market fees for charging electricity. Kaufland, for example, offers a transparent pricing model. Additional offers such as discounts on charging, advertising space on displays or personalized customer contact are also in demand in the retail sector.

It is crucial that the charging infrastructure is also considered – not just as an obligation, but as part of a sustainable location strategy. Integration with PV systems, battery storage and load management reduces energy costs in the long term. At the same time, the ESG rating improves – a factor that should not be underestimated when competing for investors and employees.

Even if the number of e-cars is currently stagnating in some countries, the mobility turnaround has not been canceled, only postponed. Retailers who build charging infrastructure with foresight today will secure long-term benefits: stronger customer loyalty, additional sources of income, sustainable energy supply and a positive image effect.