The digital space has also opened new revenue streams for grocers, as Dutch consumers increasingly opt for online grocery shopping. However, the supermarket revenue generated through online grocery shopping still accounts for only 5.5 percent. The industry is nonetheless growing with new advances such as mobile applications, intuitive website designs, and faster deliveries. In 2022, the online grocery delivery revenue in the Netherlands amounted to over 3.7 billion euros. That year, the number of online food stores in the Netherlands exceeded 7,000 shops.
The Dutch grocery shopper
Dutch shoppers spend more time on grocery e-shopping than ever, but most are not yet fond of it. Online food shopping is seen as not convenient by many for numerous reasons: the closeness of physical supermarkets, the inability to inspect the quality of products, and simply having a better experience in brick-and-mortar stores. When Dutch consumers do shop groceries and beverages online, they mainly buy fresh produce, rice and pasta, and coffee and tea, among other food and drink staples. According to recent surveys, the typical Dutch online grocery shopper is a millennial who is highly educated and lives in a densely populated area.Supermarkets take over the online world
Albert Heijn, Jumbo, and Picnic were the three biggest online supermarkets in the Netherlands in 2023, together taking up almost 100 percent of the market share. Picnic is different from the other to because of its online-only supermarket business model. This former start-up closed an investment deal of 950 million euros in 2023, and originally operated in the Amsterdam area before expanding to the rest of the country and neighnoring Germany.All three of the most popular online supermarkets have trendy apps that harness mobile traffic and increase customer loyalty. More than half of Dutch consumers use supermarket apps a couple of times per week. Apps are used by online shoppers to find offers, save points, create shopping lists, and check prices.
