The Netherlands' largest retailer Albert Heijn recorded a slight market share increase of 0.1% in 2017.
The retailer saw its share of the Dutch grocery market grow from 35.2% to 35.3% last year; a record high for the retailer.
Albert Heijn also says that it saw a boost in home deliveries around the Christmas period, including over 100,000 orders in one week.
New Additions
Albert Heijn renovated 49 stores last year, introducing new innovations in terms of format and sustainability, such as the revamped AH XL in Alkmaar, which is carbon-neutral through its energy-efficient cooling, its heating system and its 1,500 solar panels.
The retailer also introduced a range of new services, such as its Rappie delivery service and Appie Today, a social media channel for customers and employees. It also trialled a new cashless shopping system at its AH To Go stores with smart shelf labels.
In February 2017, the retailer launched its Bakery Café and Deli Kitchen to go concepts at its stores.
It also reduced the sugar content in its soft drinks and juice range, with the equivalent of some 50 million fewer sugar cubes consumed by its customers last year, according to the retailer.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Kevin Duggan. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
