Amazon Pantry, a branch of the internet giant that allows customers to order groceries for home delivery is now available in Belgium. The service is already a hit in the US and UK.
According to Gino Van Ossel, a retail expert at Vlerick Business School, “it is certainly a threat to our supermarkets”. One problem faced by traditional retailers is price: for example, one litre of cola sells on Amazon for €1.15, whereas Collect & Go – a division of Colruyt – sells the same bottle for €1.57. Pantry costs €49 for a year’s subscription, plus €3.99 for delivery of the first 20kg box.
“Amazon has experience with e-commerce, whereas most Belgian players are not ready for major competition in that area,” Malaika Brengman, a retail expert from the Free University of Brussels (VUB), told VRT. “Belgian supermarkets, be prepared for the worst.”
Only 9% of Belgians bought food online last year, according to retail federation Comeos, but the proportion is growing each year.