Supermarket challenger Upfront opens its second location

Following a successful debut, the Dutch supermarket chain Upfront is opening a second store in Rotterdam. The concept is working, according to founder Mark de Boer, who ultimately aims to open as many as a thousand locations. Visit this unique “challenger” during the retail tour The Buzz.

Pilot phase over, time to scale up

Upfront is opening a second Foodstore in Rotterdam-West on June 6, as the first location on the Van Nelle site is now generating weekly sales of 150,000 euros. At its launch in December 2025, the company stated that scaling up would only follow once the pilot “scored a ten“, according to the magazine De Ondernemer.

The new location, reportedly in the former Hartman building on Nieuwe Binnenweg, will be substantially larger. According to De Boer, the supermarket is three times as large and will have twice as many checkout lanes. The product range is also expanding with more than twenty new items.

Upfront explicitly positions itself differently from traditional supermarket chains. While established players offer tens of thousands of products, Upfront opts for a highly limited assortment of about 180 items under its own brand, all free of artificial additives. The concept aims to stand for radical transparency and explicitly opposes ultra-processed food.

Operational challenges

The first store was certainly a costly learning experience. The pilot required an investment of 1.5 million euros, fully financed from online sales. At the same time, Upfront faced growing pains. For instance, the company had to recall products following a warning from the Dutch Food Authority, and 700,000 euros’ worth of milkshakes were destroyed due to quality issues. According to De Boer, these issues have since been resolved, and the company took immediate action when problems arose.

Now, the acceleration in growth is bringing new organizational challenges, as evidenced by open job postings for a sourcing manager and supply chain planners. The combination of online sales, retail distribution, and company-owned stores leads to complexity in inventory management. The company acknowledges that it “regularly” faces shortages or surpluses. Upfront now has more than fifty employees.

Ambition: Nationwide Coverage

The expansion to a second location is just the beginning. De Boer speaks openly about further growth. He previously even mentioned an ambition of a thousand stores. But is that feasible with a concept that breaks with the classic rules of food retail in almost every way?

Upfront is undoubtedly one of the most talked-about retail concepts of the moment, but is it more than just hype driven by social media? During the next supermarket tour with The Buzz, on May 19, you can judge for yourself as a retail professional. Join retail expert Erik Hemmes in examining and analyzing this disruptive concept, which elicits as much admiration as it does critical questions.

Please note: registration will close permanently soon. Reserve one of the last spots now.