Jumbo announces Belgian launch timing and turnover growth

The Dutch Jumbo group has achieved a 9.6 % turnover growth in 2018 as its restaurant chain La Place and supermarket chain Emté had strong years. In the last quarter of 2019 the group’s main and eponymous supermarket chain will open its first Belgian stores.

20% market share

The whole group achieved a turnover of 7.8 billion euro, 7.4 billion of which came courtesy of the Jumbo chain itself (+3.8 % autonomous growth). The chain opened 33 stores (including three of the larger Foodmarkt concept), but also grew rapidly online. This expansion allowed Jumbo to reach the 20 % market share mark in the Netherlands.

In order to ensure future growth, Jumbo wants to “move from food retail to food experience”, as “customers tend to focus more on convenience and a specialised range of delicious and healthy food”, CEO Frits Van Eerd says. His chain now focuses on the integration of certain aspects of restaurant chain La Place in its regular supermarkets, including freshly prepared meals and a special La Place bread range. There will also be a Jumbo Food College to train employees of both chains.

The group now focuses on its expansion into Belgium: the group has contracted dozens of locations, and has now announced that the first of those will open in the fourth quarter of 2019. A new distribution hub in Middelburg, Zeeland would also be able to cater for the North-West of Belgium.