In Dutch supermarkets, the share of online sales is only at 2 per cent. That’s much lower than in countries such as the UK and France, where that share is at 6 per cent. Because the internet penetration and population density in the Netherlands are among the highest in the Europe, Nielsen expects that online markets within supermarkets will reach a share of 5 per cent in 2020.
According to Nielsen, 10 motives correlate the most with the success of e-commerce, and the Netherlands has almost all of these motives. Add to that the advanced secure methods of payment in the Netherlands, and the country meets all of the requirements to take a huge step forwards.
Share of online versus offline sales.
Right now, the online sales in categories with heavier and larger packaging, such as detergent and toilet paper, are relatively high, while products consumers want to see and smell, such as fresh meat and fresh bread, are bought online less often. In frozen dough, the online share is at 10 per cent, and in baby food it’s at 6 per cent. Within the largest categories, remarkable differences can also be noticed. Comparatively, consumers buy more apples online than offline, and the same is true for tomatoes and cucumbers.
According to Nielsen, to stimulate a larger acceleration of online, retailers could take a few measures, including:
Don’t try to pass on shipping costs to consumers, or try to lower them. This is an important obstacle for doing your shopping online.
Make sure you have accurate delivery times, and carry these out. This is one of the most important matters for the shoppers – it’s even more important than the available assortment, prices or promotions.
Develop a strategy to offer a freshness guarantee. Customers want to know the products they buy online are just as fresh as when they were to buy them in the shop.
Bron: Nielsen