Tech-ing it forward

With almost 700 stores and approximately 100,000 employees, Jumbo has experienced significant growth during the past few years after acquiring several leading Dutch brands, including La Place, C1000 and Emté. It has more than tripled its market share over the last decade, dominating just over one-fifth of the overall market and increasing turnover by nearly 400%. Its strong foothold as the number one omnichannel food player in the Netherlands, combined with its innovative approach and core values, offering the best quality and the best service, at the lowest price. Business need To address changing market conditions and keep pace with customer demand, Jumbo ventured into on-line shopping in 2014. This transition, in conjunction with Its stores and those of its franchisors, served as a catalyst for rapid growth. Apart from traditional distribution centers and a new fully automated one, Jumbo also invested in E-fulfilment Centres (EFCs), as well as eight hubs that are operational in large towns and cities to manage the rise in demand. There are currently two EFCs where all the order picking for eCommerce takes place, with pick-up and home delivery points for groceries. The third was opened in January 2021 because of continued demand. These EFCs are located throughout the Netherlands and are very large (approximately 40,000 m²), to accommodate an extensive variety of goods that would not be available in every store. To collect customer orders as quickly as possible, Jumbo has implemented on automation and constantly looks for quality and productivity improvements. Scanning technologies are used to efficiently process orders. By implementing the new technology they have become more future proofed and this will enable to support further growth with increased up-times.