Dutch supermarkets had to face a new challenge in 2024 with the enforcement of a national ban on the sale of tobacco products on their premises, effective July 1. Jumbo, one of the leading food retailers in the country, specifically ascribed its
in 2024 to the ban. Despite this,
still had a very strong presence in the Dutch supermarket landscape along with other chains
Albert Heijn, the top supermarket
Albert Heijn, part of the global Ahold Delhaize group, led the
food retail industry in the Netherlands with a market share of close to 38 percent in 2024. Its main competitor was Jumbo, which accounted for 20.3 percent of the market and boasted a very fast growth in the past twelve years, witnessing
its market share more than double during this period.
Albert Heijn has its origins in 1887, when a man with that name bought a grocery store in Oostzaan. In 2024, the
total number of Albert Heijn stores reached 1,195, the highest figure among all food retail chains in the Netherlands. Moreover, Albert Heijn has adapted to changing times and reached a sales value of approximately 1.8 billion euros
in the online channel in 2023.
Discounter supermarkets make their way
Lidl and Aldi were the leading discounter chains in the country in 2024. The
revenue of Lidl in the Netherlands amounted to approximately 5.5 billion euros, just behind Jumbo and Albert Heijn. Among discounters, Lidl also had the highest market share and
consumer penetration.
However, it is another German discounter that had the highest presence in the country: Aldi counted
487 stores nationwide in 2024. Despite this, among other leading grocery retailers, Aldi ranked only fifth in terms of revenue and sixth when it came to penetration rate.
Effects of the tobacco ban
With the entry into force of the tobacco ban, grocery stores saw their
revenue drop by 1.5 percent in 2024 compared to the previous year, while specialized food stores, on the other hand, experienced a record growth of six percent in turnover. This is because the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) groups tobacco shops together with food shops. Supermarkets suffered not only the loss of income from tobacco sales but also from groceries that consumers sought elsewhere where they could also purchase tobacco products, for instance convenience stores or other supermarkets with a tobacco shop in their proximity. As a response to the ban, the Dutch Ministry of Health estimated that 2024 would see the
number of tobacco-selling shops, especially those where 75 percent or more of total revenue comes from tobacco sales, substantially increase – from 1,600 stores in 2021 to 2,400 in 2024.
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