Dutch people shop more often in Germany and Belgium

Spending by Dutch shoppers in cheaper German and Belgian supermarkets has risen by 20% in a year: cross-border shopping now accounts for 2.7% of total sales, and in the province of Limburg this figure is as high as 9.6%.

Large price differences

In the first nine months of this year, 45.3% of Dutch households made at least one purchase in Belgium or Germany. Last year, that figure was 41.4%. On average, they spent €342 there, an increase of 15%. Germany is significantly more popular than Belgium, with German drugstore chains taking the crown: they account for 5.6% of turnover, compared to 4.2% in the same period last year. This represents a 33% increase, according to figures from market research agency Hiiper for the Dutch trade journal Distrifood.