HOLLAND RETAIL NEWS: Jan 2021
January 2021 Netherlands Retail News was primarily about the ongoing closure of non-essential stores throughout the country due to Dutch government coronavirus measures.
NON-ESSENTIAL STORE CLOSURES
Non-essential stores in the Netherlands were forced to close in mid-December in an effort to stop the spread of the more-infectious British variant of the coronavirus. The directive was to be effective through 13th January 2021. But due to a high level of new cases, the directive was extended until mid-February. Physical stores in the Netherlands were therefore closed the entire month of January.
AMAZON NETHERLANDS IN ENGLISH
Amazon added an English-language option to its Netherlands webshop in mid-January. The move will be highly appreciated by the large number of expats living in the Netherlands, most of whom do not speak Dutch. It also shows Amazon Netherlands is committed to expanding its consumer base in the country and challenging the number 1 Dutch online retailer, bol.com.
3rd MIFFY STORE TO OPEN
The world renown white rabbit, Miffy (Nijntje), created by Dutch illustrator Dick Bruna, will open its third store later this spring in the Mall of the Netherlands. The shopping mall is located near The Hague in the municipality of Leidschendam. The two other Miffy stores are in Amsterdam and Maastricht.
DEC 2020 NETHERLANDS RETAIL SALES FALL
The Dutch national statistics bureau has reported a significant decline in non-food retail sales in the Netherlands for December 2020. This was due to government measures to combat the spread of coronavirus, which saw the shock closure of all non-essential stores just ten days before Christmas.
For the month, total non-food retail sales were down 22.1% vs December 2019. Hardest hit were the categories of Footwear & Leather Goods (-46.7%) and Apparel (-45.3%).
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