Snow and ice slow down grocery deliveries, but shelves mostly stocked

Winter weather may cause minor delays in supermarket deliveries in parts of the Netherlands. Albert Heijn and PLUS report that shelves remain mostly stocked. Albert Heijn had to cancel a small number of online orders when delivery was deemed unsafe.

Albert Heijn has not disclosed how many customers were impacted. “Customers will be informed individually,” the chain said. Grocery deliveries are facing delays again on Tuesday in certain regions.

PLUS is also cautioning customers about possible grocery delivery delays. “So far, none of our stores have reported being unable to deliver,” a spokesperson said. To cope with the weather, PLUS is restocking stores earlier, keeping extra trucks available, and working to keep its distribution centers clear of snow and ice.

On Monday, Jumbo canceled orders for “a few hundred customers,” a spokesperson said. “In certain areas, it was too dangerous for our drivers to make deliveries.” Customers will not be compensated, as the situation is considered force majeure. Although some supermarket delivery trucks were delayed, this did not result in empty shelves, the spokesperson noted.

DHL warns that residential areas face greater challenges than main roads, as less snow clearing and salting takes place. While travel times were longer on Monday, the company said Tuesday that no major delays were expected today.

Tuesday’s winter weather disrupted public transport. NS trains were not running until 10:00 a.m., partly due to an IT issue, and some regions had no buses in the morning.

The effect on factories seems limited, with employees at VDL, Tata Steel, and Heineken still able to reach work. Heineken is using multiple smaller trucks rather than large ones to ensure safety.