Dutch retailer Coop Netherlands has announced that its consumer sales grew by over 5% to €1.177 billion in 2017.
Turnover increased by 5.3%, with consumer sales increasing by €59 million during the year, from €1.118 billion in 2016.
The retailer opened five new supermarkets in 2017, leading to a total of 263 stores across the country.
Additionally, it completed 39 large refurbishment projects, thereby improving the quality of its stores and the shopping experience for its customers, according to the retailer.
With home delivery now available from all Coop Netherland branches, online orders also increased substantially in turnover, according to the retailer.
TV Campaign
At the beginning of 2017, the retailer also launched a TV campaign to increase brand awareness. Coop Netherlands said it attributes its sales growth partly to this media investment.
“We look back proudly on 2017,” said Herco Boer, CFO of Coop Netherlands. “Coop has again invested heavily in existing and new stores and with our national TV campaign has made considerable efforts to achieve brand awareness.”
“Our investments generated results in revenue growth due to both an increase in customer visits and higher spending per receipt,” Boer said.
“The expansion of the online activities has resulted in a wider coverage for home delivery that more and more customers use.”
Continuing Growth
Boer added that Coop Netherlands will remain focused on growth in new stores and expanding its urban store concept Coop Vandaag (Coop Today). It also plans to invest in existing stores and further improve its e-commerce business.
“In 2018 we will continue with our media campaign,” Boer said. “This will be further focused on our cooperative identity and the power of of our message that ‘Together you make the difference’”.
In December, the retailer announced a trial of a new 100% electric truck to supply its Coop Vandaag stores in Rotterdam.
The move came as part of the retailer’s goal towards achieving zero emissions from transport and logistics in the city centre of Rotterdam by 2020.
© 2018 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.
