Supermarkets in North Holland: regional heroes thrive in their home market
The Dutch supermarket landscape shows how local presence and heritage continue to shape regional performance.
In North Holland, Albert Heijn, Vomar, DekaMarkt and Dirk dominate the supermarket scene — not only because of brand loyalty, but also because this is where their store networks are most concentrated.
Nationally, Albert Heijn accounts for around 37% of supermarket visits, but in its home province of North Holland, that share rises to 43% — a logical result given the brand’s origins in Oostzaan and its dense regional footprint.
Similarly, Vomar (13%), DekaMarkt (10%) and Dirk (6%) achieve higher visit shares here than nationally, reflecting both a high local presence and strong regional attachment among shoppers.
By contrast, broader networks such as Jumbo (10%) and Lidl (9%) underperform relative to their national averages — a reminder that in food retail, geography and familiarity still matter as much as brand scale.
A stable top, subtle shifts below
Compared with October 2024, the overall market in North Holland remains stable.
Albert Heijn maintains its leading position at 42.8%.
The most noticeable gains come from the discounters: Lidl (+4.8%) and ALDI (+4.9%), reflecting the ongoing appeal of value-driven shopping, even in areas where local brands traditionally dominate.
The picture is less about dramatic shifts and more about steady, resilient loyalty.
Still, discounters are managing to grow at the margins of that loyalty base — benefiting from convenience and sharper price perception.
Visit transfers: regional winners stand out
Compared with October 2024, Vomar, Dirk and Jumbo all strengthened their positions in North Holland.
Vomar gained the most, drawing visitors from several competitors, including Albert Heijn, DekaMarkt and Lidl.
Dirk and Jumbo also captured modest inflows, while DekaMarkt and PLUS saw the sharpest outflows.
These shifts confirm that while regional loyalty remains strong, shoppers continue to adjust their routines — often balancing value and convenience when choosing where to shop.
The ability to zoom in on specific regions or store clusters is crucial. Retailers compete locally — understanding performance at that level makes the difference between reacting late and acting fast.
Frequency: loyalty where proximity meets routine
Visit frequency data reveals how deeply local brands are woven into daily life in North Holland.
Albert Heijn leads with an average of 4.6 monthly visits per shopper, followed by Vomar (3.4) and DekaMarkt (3.4) — clear signs of how central these brands are to local routines.
Dirk (2.6) and Jumbo (2.8) show solid engagement, while Lidl (2.5) and ALDI (2.4) attract more occasional visits, typical for discounters.
It’s no surprise that regional brands perform best where their networks are strongest. What stands out is how consistently shoppers keep returning — local familiarity builds loyalty, and that loyalty translates into long-term resilience.
The bigger picture: why regional insight matters
The North Holland findings underline how regional market structures drive competition in Dutch food retail.
Store density, brand familiarity and convenience all shape real-world performance — often more than national brand power or marketing investment.
With Accurat’s real-time, location-based insights, retailers can see these dynamics as they happen — and adapt before small behavioural shifts become long-term trends.