Shoppers in the Netherlands have reportedly spent less on pre-cut vegetables in favour of cheaper ingredient-based multipacks
Meal kits are making a splash in the Netherlands as supermarket shoppers opt for more cost-effective routes to convenience.
That’s according to new research presented by industry body GroentenFruit Huis, which notes that sales of fresh-cut vegetables such as salads and stir-fry vegetables declined in the meantime.
Citing data from YouGov (formerly GfK), the group said overall vegetable sales were down.
Consumers purchased more tomatoes, cauliflower and broccoli in 2024, but sales of carrots, green beans, chicory, sprouts, and asparagus were all lower.
Supermarket sales of meal kits reportedly increased by 6 per cent in volume terms last year, with the number of individual buyers also up slightly.
Almost half of all households in the Netherlands bought at least one meal kit during that time.
“Meal kits are still gaining ground,” it said. “Having almost all the ingredients in one package to make a meal is very appealing to consumers.”
Snack tomatoes gain ground
Tomatoes were by far the country’s most purchased vegetable, GroentenFruit Huis revealed.
And with a 6 per cent annual increase in sales, they extended their lead over onions and cucumbers in second and third place respectively.
“The increased tomato sales are mainly due to snack tomatoes,” it added, “purchases of which increased by around 20 per cent compared to 2023. Dutch people bought larger quantities at a time and the number of buyers of snack tomatoes also increased in the past year.”
The group added: “The lower price was also an attractive reason to buy more snack tomatoes. For example, the average price fell by 9 per cent. In addition, the Dutch bought slightly more plum tomatoes than last year.”
