What happens to a supermarket parking lot when the store is closed? Usually nothing. It stands empty, even though countless Munich residents search in vain for a parking spot in the evening. The Munich-based company Wemolo wants to close this very gap and, to that end, launched a pilot project with Aldi Süd in July: At six locations in Munich, a total of 81 parking spaces are available for residents to reserve after closing time.
The rationale is straightforward: An aggregated analysis of Wemolo’s German locations shows that retail parking spaces are occupied on average by only about 30 percent during business hours. At night, utilization is apparently even lower. “A supermarket parking lot that stands empty after closing time isn’t a parking problem—it’s an untapped source of revenue,” says Dominic Winkler, Head of Sales & Business Development Real Estate at Wemolo.
Smart parking without barriers or wait times
The system’s technical infrastructure operates without barriers, tickets, or staff . Across Europe, 11,000 cameras currently capture the license plates of vehicles entering and exiting the lots. An AI-based analysis verifies parking authorizations, manages payment transactions, and provides operators with real-time data on parking lot utilization . For retailers and real estate companies, this eliminates costs for barrier systems, while users can park without a physical ticket and without having to wait at the exit.
What began in 2019 as an UnternehmerTUM project to combat unauthorized parking in supermarket lots now manages 370,000 parking spaces across five countries—including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, and Italy—and processes 2.5 million parking transactions daily. Since its founding, the total has reached nearly two billion. The Thalkirchen-based company now employs a total of over 250 people and, according to Deloitte Fast 50, is considered Germany’s fastest-growing startup.
In addition to Aldi and Edeka, customers include real estate companies such as HIH Real Estate, hotel chains such as Best Western, as well as hospitals and municipalities. Parking options at Aldi Süd are available not only at the Munich location but also in Krefeld, Augsburg, and the Allgäu region. It remains to be seen whether and when the model will be expanded to other Munich locations.
