Important trends in and for Dutch retail

According to Distrifood, 26 supermarket formulas are competing with each other. They have their own image, and, additionally, they try to be distinctive as the cheapest or best in fruit and vegetables. Size, efficiency and marketing strength are drivers for success and continuity. On the other hand, for local supermarket departments and franchisees, location and clientele becomes increasingly more decisive. Customer loyalty and competition of physical shops with (their own) online version are important themes. Services, an assortment tailored to local needs, bonding with the neighbourhood, but also distinctive local products and trends are important to anticipate for physical shops. Following are some trends to keep in mind.

What do customers smell, feel and see when they enter shops for their daily groceries? Are they just there for a few quick groceries, or can they be seduced to stay in the shop longer with some entertainment? A children’s or coffee corner, a reading table, freshly baked rolls or an in-store bakery … All sorts of things can be thought of to increase shop experience. The Jumbo food market in Breda offers in-store chefs, cookery workshops, tasting areas, children’s workshops or flower arranging. For men, they have whisky tastings.

Consumers think sustainability and fighting waste is an increasingly important theme. Cook books about ‘cooking with leftovers’ are becoming increasingly important. These are often about the environment as well. In some supermarkets, such as Bag & Buy and Original Unverpakt, plastic packaging are absolutely forbidden. Plus is distinctive as the most responsible supermarket, Albert Heijn started marketing ‘ugly’ vegetables, and supermarkets bring surplus food to food banks. A completely different way to combat waste is combining food service and retail. Products with spots or that are about to go bad can be processed into smoothies or ready-meals. 

In this time of ready-made and digital, there’s a revaluation for traditional and local crafts, such as growing your own fruit and vegetables. In Rotterdam, the Fenix Food Factory sells local, and sometimes even on-site produced, products. In Venlo, supermarket entrepreneur Geert Benders founded beej Benders, an artisan food market. Selling local products can increase customer relations.

Consumers are more and more aware of health, and want to know the effects of certain nutrients on their bodies. Food should be good for body and mind. Trends like personalised food are a part of this. At Plus Astrid and Edwin Holtrop, a food coach is regularly present to help customers make healthy decisions. E numbers have a negative image, and focus is on fresh and fewer pesticides. The organic segment grows every year. That means food retailers should show their knowledge of food more obviously in a transparent manner.

We live in a 24/7 society, with the accompanying mindset. Consumers tend to leave when they have to wait for products, services or in queues. Supermarkets offer more and more ordering, delivering and pick up options. Technological options exist to make it easier to pay, they make supermarkets free from cash registers, and there are even apps to make it easier to navigate shops and fridge magnets to keep track of shopping lists.

The popularity of food boxes indicates consumers want to be de-burdened. They don’t want to have to think about a sensible and healthy meal. Clarity about who the producer is and where the product comes from, is a must for that. Diets are changing. Increasingly, the moment of purchase coincides with the consumption of the product. More and more supermarkets therefore offer a restaurant area or flex workplaces where consumers can eat the purchased food, such as Hoogvliet The Hague. At high-traffic locations, for example, in cities, on campuses or stations, the small-scale fresh market and to-go food services are on the rise.

Eating is a social activity, and recipes and creations are doing well on social media. Restaurants and supermarkets are increasingly bearing this in mind. Your food has to be photogenic so it can be shared on social media. For a local supermarket, it also becomes increasingly important to be active on social media, to let people know what your shop sells and what can be experienced on-site.

Various retailers are starting educational programmes for children. Retailer Albert Heijn is partner of JoGG (the national ‘youths with healthy weights’ programme) and developed an educational programme for elementary school pupils, in cooperation with the Dutch food centre. Jumbo developed vegetable bingo to get children to eat more vegetables. German discounter Aldi supports an educational programme in which pupils grow their own vegetables, which should result in them becoming more appreciative of food.