The group, which also owned other retail chains such as HL-Markt, Penny Markt or toom, initially sold 50% of its assets to Rewe in 1974[1] and was bought out completely in 1989.

In 1990, the until-then West German chain expanded into the former GDR states; the first Minimal store in the East was opened in 1990 in Wanzleben in Saxony-Anhalt.

During the years 2004 and 2005, Rewe converted most of its small-footprint chains (such as HL Deutscher Supermarkt, Stüssgen, Kafu and Otto Mess) into Minimal stores.

Since them, the name Minimal did not only encompass the larger branches, but also small stores with a floor size from 400 square metres.

[2] In January 2006, Rewe Group decided to merge all its German full-service supermarket operations under a common brand name,[2][3] independent of whether they had been chain stores or individually operated by co-operative members, of whom the latter already had been using the "Rewe" brand.