The Hague to ban new rapid grocery deliverers in residential, shopping areas

The Hague banned new rapid grocery delivery establishments from its shopping areas and residential streets, the city announced on Wednesday. These "dark stores" will henceforth only open in thoroughfares and business locations, De Telegraaf reports.

With that, The Hague is the first city in the Netherlands to implement a policy for rapid grocery delivery services like Getir, Flink, and Gorillas. The new policy does not apply to existing dark stores - the rapid delivery services' distribution points.

"The rapid deliverers are innovative entrepreneurs who meet a need. But by banning new branches of these companies in the main retail structure in The Hague and adjusting the associated fifty zoning plans, the municipality has more control over the locations of future branches. In this way, we ensure that it remains pleasant to live in The Hague," alderman Anne Mulder for urban development said.

"We see that our residents also order groceries from rapid deliverers, but the shopping areas do not match the many transport movements, and the business operations of these services," alderman Saskia Bruines for economics said. According to her, the municipality regularly receives complaints about noise or scooters blocking the sidewalk.

Amsterdam is working on a similar policy for rapid grocery delivery services. The capital announced it would ban them from residential and mixed areas, where shops and homes intermingle.