Fast delivery services triple client base in 2021

The fast delivery market is growing turbulently in the Netherlands. The number of people using fast grocery delivery services such as Gorillas and Flink more than tripled in the second half of 2021, a survey by market research agency Kantar has found.

Some 700,000 of the 44,000 respondents used the services at some point compared to 200,000 in the first half of last year, the survey showed.

The number of clients is on the rise  is not only the result of a growing number of providers; after Gorillas in 2020, Flink, Getir and Zapp also entered the Dutch market in 2021. Another factor is that these parties are significantly expanding their delivery area. Meanwhile, 13% of the Dutch live in an area that is served by at least one of these players.

Fast delivery services typically operate from city centre distribution centres and employ couriers who travel by bike.

Snacks were the most popular items on the menu, with coffee, fizzy frinks and tea in second place and bread third. Total turnover last year approched some €40m per month, the researchers found.

The reasons why people are less inclined to use their own bikes to go shopping were not part of the survey but Kantar said coronavirus restrictions may have played a role. Whether or not growth will continue is unclear, Kantar said.

Market players and positions fast delivery services

Gorillas is the best-known fast delivery service in the Netherlands. Some five million people had heard of it, while names such as Flink, Getir and Zapp are also becoming more widely known, Kantar said. This year it will become clear which parties will grow faster and which will grow less quickly.

Will the turnover of flash services in the Netherlands reach the billion in 2022?

Based on the average expenditure per order, which differs per provider, and the number of times that people order per month, Kantar researchers estimate that at the end of 2021 the total expenditure of Dutch consumers on fast delivery was approximately € 40 million per month, i.e. on an annual basis. in 2021 about half a billion euros. If growth continues unabated in 2022 – then and only then – the 1 billion mark can be crossed this year. That’s decent for a service that wasn’t available in the Netherlands two years ago. However, it is still a bit early to draw any conclusions about this item, because some of the customers could have been trying it out for the time being and may not become long-term returning customers.

Opportunity and threat for (online) supermarkets

Flash delivery is potentially both an opportunity and a threat to the online supermarkets that we have known for some time. Customers of online supermarkets are much more likely to order from a speed camera than consumers who do not shop online at a supermarket.

 

[Source: Kantar]