Tobacco ban and Belgium renew Sligro spirits

Sligro is growing thanks to the tobacco ban in Dutch supermarkets. Moreover, IT problems in Belgium should be solved, meaning the wholesaler is optimistic about the future.

Tobacco boost

Sligro’s sales went up 3.5 % to 730 million euros in the third quarter of 2024, a growth that was mainly driven by a recovery in the Dutch market and a significant increase in tobacco sales. The wholesaler is also seeing signs of improvement in Belgium.

Dutch sales even rose 5.8 % in the third quarter, after a less favourable second quarter. Growth was partly driven by the shift of tobacco sales to petrol stations, now that Dutch supermarkets are no longer allowed to sell such products. Excluding tobacco, sales growth was still 2.9 %.

IT problems solved

In Belgium, sales still went down 10 % compared to last year, but there are signs of improvement. The chain has made significant investments in its IT and logistics infrastructure after acquiring Metro’s Belgian branch, but that implementation was difficult and caused a lot of inconvenience for a while. Now, however, the infrastructure is fully up to scratch, spokesman Wilco Jansen told RetailDetail at the reopening of the Ghent store. That location was extensively remodelled according to the latest shop concept.

Sligro continues to focus on sales retention and customer acquisition in both the Netherlands and Belgium. Despite current market conditions, characterised by inflation and pressure on volumes, the company remains optimistic about the long term. Full-year earnings expectations remain unchanged.