Prices still high because supermarkets can't buy stocks from other EU countries

Supermarket prices are still unnecessarily high because Dutch shops cannot purchase their stocks in other European Union countries. That inability makes the purchase price for 1 in 25 goods an average of 10 percent higher, according to research commissioned by Minster Micky Adriaansens of Economic Affairs and Climate, NOS reports.

Over half of the 44 major buyers surveyed by the research agency Ecorys said they struggle with “territorial supply restrictions” by European manufacturers and suppliers. The biggest obstacle to buying from a cheaper EU country is “a mandatory referral to the Dutch branch of the supplier.” Many also reported “a blanket refusal to supply products” from EU manufacturers.

The over 300 retail companies surveyed reported encountering the same problem. All seven large supermarket chains in the Netherlands, including Albert Heijn and Jumbo, said they couldn’t buy A-brands from other European countries. DIY stores and online platforms are also affected.

“In the Netherlands, this could lead to higher consumer prices, a lower profit margin for entrepreneurs, and a more limited product range,” the Ministry concluded.

The research confirms long-standing suspicions,” Minister Adriaansens said. “That is problematic, especially in times of high prices.” She will propose that the European Union bans “discrimination based on location” in trade between companies. Until that can be arranged, she will also work on a legal ban in the Benelux countries.

A problem with this is that the European rules do not allow for Dutch supermarkets to buy their products cheaper in Germany, for example, because the label is in a different language. That means that consumers wouldn’t be able to check the ingredients in a product, for example. Adriaansens promised to look into offering digital labels when purchasing products, for example, via a QR code.

Early this year, online supermarket Picnic experimented with avoiding that problem by buying A-brands from neighboring countries and then providing them with a Dutch label. But it turned out “expensive and logistically cumbersome,” according to the broadcaster.