Tobacco brand Marlboro has been named the biggest-selling brand in the Dutch supermarket sector, with total sales of €455.5 million last year, well ahead of second-placed Coca-Cola.
That's according to the Merken Top 100 report, produced by trade publication Foodmagazine in conjunction with research firm IRI.
The report found that the total turnover of the 100 largest brands in Dutch supermarkets rose by 2.6% last year, compared to the previous year; around €8.3 billion.
Brand Performance
Marlboro (€455.5 million) has now led the Merken Top 100 list for four years in a row, with its position consolidated by price and excise increases. However, the brand has also benefited from longer supermarket opening times, and the rising popularity of convenience and 'to-go' formats.
Coca-Cola (€298.3 million), which rises from third to second place, has seen marginal declines in volume sales, however value sales are up. This is particularly the case with regard to Coke's Zero variant, which has helped to offset declines of its Classic variant, down by 5% in volume terms.
Dairy brand Campina takes third spot in the rankings (€265.5 million), boosted by an increase in the number of sustainable products the company offers, while Heineken (€263.3 million) places fourth, with its no alcohol variant, Heineken 0.0, helping to boost sales.
A second tobacco brand, Camel, places fifth (€221.9 million), again boosted by price increases and growth of convenience channels.
Turnover Growth
The report found that the Dutch supermarket sector as a whole recorded a turnover of €37.4 billion last year, with Aldi and Lidl included in the IRI ranking for the first time.
The full report can be found on Foodmagazine's website (registration required).
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
