by Walther Ploos van Amstel
The growth of online groceries presents great challenges. Financial director Ton van Veen of Dutch retailer Jumbo: “This is a substantial loss-making business model. Everyone knows that”. Van Veen states that the logistical process behind grocery delivery is costing too much.
The growth of e-commerce has increased demand for warehouse space, but one real estate sector is really heating up. Cold storage distribution centers are in high demand thanks to new food delivery services. The sector is still small now, but growing rapidly.
The Kroger Co. has a long history in retail grocery operations. Today, Kroger is a $115 billion company operating in 35 states in the US. Kroger owns 38 manufacturing facilities that produce about 40 percent of the private-label brands sold in Kroger stores.
Peapod Digital Labs, the digital and eCommerce engine for Ahold Delhaize USA, announced that it is partnering with leading crowdsourced logistics company Deliv to help their US brands extend same-day grocery delivery in select markets.
Ahold Delhaize, which operates supermarkets in Europe and the US (‘Stop & Shop’ and ‘Food Lion’) is on track to meet a 20 percent US online sales growth target this year as it opens automated grocery distribution points along the East Coast, chief executive Frans Muller said in an interview.
Ahold Delhaize’s Stop & Shop is updating its brand to make grocery shopping easier. The update is designed to improve the in-store experience with a focus on more fresh and healthy options and improved digital solutions. Part of the update is the introduction of robots for click and collect at special Stop & Shop pick-up …
Statistics Netherlands reports that 29 percent of Dutch households ordered groceries at least once online in 2017, the most in the European Union, passing the UK at 28 percent. Dutch multinational Ahold Delhaize was the first to offer online groceries in the Netherlands, but the practice has kicked into high gear recently due to what …
More than 1 in 6 Dutch people do their grocery shopping online. In just three years, Picnic has grown from delivering in Amersfoort to over 60 locations in the Netherlands and Germany. And, each day new customers join. Picnic’s Joris van Tatenhove reports about Picnic’s success in e-groceries on Medium.com.
Dutch e-groceries company Picnic is taking responsibility for decreasing the energy footprint. Picnic’s mission is to: maximise energy efficiency, source electricity from 100% renewables and ensure that energy is used when supply is high and demand is low.
UK-based company Ocado has been credited with revolutionising the UK’s e-grocery arena. An online player with cutting-edge technology, a centralised hub-based delivery system and lucrative partnerships with high-end retailers, and Ocado is profitable. Sales in 2017 are expected to grow towards 1,5 bln Euro. Net margin was 1%.