Figures released by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reveal that while shoppers are spending less, Dutch supermarkets have seen turnover rise significantly as a result of the higher food prices.
With inflation high and prices rising, people across the Netherlands have been looking for ways to cut spending and save a little extra money. For Dutch supermarkets and other specialist food shops, this resulted in a 5 percent decrease in the volume of sales in the second quarter of this year.
In spite of this, however, businesses saw turnover increase - something CBS attributes to the higher prices. Between April and June of 2022, the Dutch food sector saw turnover rise by around 3 percent compared to the same period last year.
The retail sector has also seen turnover increase significantly between 2021 and 2022, with clothing stores turning over around 19,5 percent more than in the second quarter of last year. Furniture, DIY, and electronics stories, as well as online retailers, however, have seen sales fall since the end of the coronavirus pandemic.