German retail chain Kaufland has entered the Dutch market with the launch of an online marketplace. Rather than competing with supermarket chains such as Albert Heijn or Jumbo, the company will rival e-commerce platforms including bol and Amazon.
Through its new Dutch website, Kaufland offers around nine million products. The range includes electronics, gardening supplies and DIY items sold by thousands of different vendors.
Many Dutch consumers know Kaufland from shopping trips to Germany. The chain operates supermarkets, or hypermarkets, near the Dutch border, where customers can buy groceries as well as products such as drinks and electronics. Kaufland has more than 1,600 stores across eight European countries.
The company already operates its marketplace model in several countries. According to Kaufland, the approach can succeed even in markets where it has no physical stores. The marketplace is also set to expand into Spain. Kaufland says this will help it build the largest marketplace network in Europe.
Kaufland is part of the Schwarz Group, which also owns Lidl.
@anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
