Consumer food spending in the Netherlands due to the coronavirus 2020, by category
Food retail and hospitality sector
The outbreak of COVID-19 and the lockdown measures implemented in the Netherlands resulted in a polarizing food consumption trend. On the one hand, food retailers initially experienced unprecedented spikes in sales, even topping Christmas sales. This hoarding of food preserves and hygiene products to stock up the “pandemic pantry” coincided with the first indications of a lockdown. In addition to supermarkets, delis, wholesale stores, and liquor stores, the online food delivery market also enjoyed a spike in sales. Online food delivery profited from the aforementioned closure of restaurants, which forced them to implement delivery and take-away options in order to maintain their income.
Pin transactions in the Netherlands
Given the popularity of debit-card payments in the Netherlands, the data represents a large share of the Dutch population. Debit card transactions are often used as a reliable measure of consumer behavior and sales. This is not only true for the retail sector, since debit cards are also the primary payment method in the hospitality and service industry.