The Dutch online supermarket Picnic is attacking the Paris region

Dutch brands are definitely flourishing in France. In addition to the success of the discounter Action, a new company from the Netherlands is starting to make its mark in France: Picnic. Founded in 2015, it is one of the fastest growing home errand delivery services in Europe. Already present in the Hauts-de-France region since 2021, the company is now launching an assault on the Ile-de-France market. Nearly 150,000 households in the south of Île-de-France (Antony, Massy, ​​Palaiseau, Igny, Fresnes, etc.) can now shop on the application and discover the originality of this service, contrary to the “quick trade“.

Indeed, far from offering delivery in record time, the Dutch company relies on tours planned in advance. The customer must therefore anticipate his purchase the day before. The order is then prepared in an automated warehouse – like that of Moissy-Cramayel (77500), just inaugurated – before joining a hub Delivery. The races are finally delivered according to the well-known principle of “milkman’s round»: several customers, and not just one, are served for the same area. Delivery slots, lasting twenty minutes, are partly imposed by the application.

10,000 references

To those who criticize Picnic for its somewhat restrictive system, the Dutch company puts forward an unstoppable argument: its ultra-competitive prices, aligned with those of surrounding supermarkets. Picnic’s offer is on average 20% cheaper than those of all the shopping delivery services on the market according to the A3Distrib barometer published by the retail specialist Olivier Dauvers. In 2021, the latter even noted that the prices offered by Picnic in the North were 7.5% lower than the average price of French supermarkets. What hit the mark, in times of inflation, especially since the Picnic catalog also contains a number of promotional offers similar to those offered by supermarkets.

“We display discounted prices, recognizes Grégoire Borgoltz, responsible for Picnic’s France operations, but this is not to the detriment of the quality of the offer. To fill its virtual shelves, Picnic obtains its supplies from the Système U plant, after being supplied for a long time by Cora. In addition to national brands and U private labels, Picnic also offers products from its own private label, developed in the Netherlands. Finally, as the pure player Frichti, the company relies on the addition of some local products (honey, homemade ice cream, drinks, etc.). In the end, no less than 10,000 references are offered on Picnic’s virtual catalog.

An offer for families

The choice and prices of a supermarket, without the inconvenience of long wanderings in the shelves: the recipe is a winner. “We are somewhat at the last stage in the evolution of the mass market, after the advent of supermarkets and the rise of drive-thru», Proudly proclaims Grégoire Borgoltz. The manager is not ashamed of the comparison with quick-commerce. “The Picnic model is much more attractive than the dark store model, as it is cheaper and more reliable“, he hammers.

It relativizes the influence of the “quick trade», «which only affected the city centers of major cities“. Not exactly the population targeted by Picnic. “Our model performs best with families living in single-family homesexplains Grégoire Borgoltz. These represent nearly two-thirds of Picnic’s customers in France. But society should not forever shun the capital and its cohorts of young workers. “Abroad, we operate successfully in very dense urban centers, such as Cologne or Amsterdam. This is why we are almost certain to open in Paris one day”.

To distance the dark-stores, Picnic also relies on its dimension “ethics“. The minimum order, set at 35 euros, avoids any delivery empty, or almost empty. All deliveries, by the way, are made by electric vans. The company is also pleased with its positive impact on food waste: thanks to the D-1 ordering system, the company does not risk ending up with unsold stocks on its hands.

The question of profitability

Before conquering French customers, the model was able to seduce investors. In 2021, Picnic announced a record fundraising of 600 million euros from its historical funders and the Bill Gates Foundation. But one question remains unanswered: can the company, which is constantly increasing its investments to grow its business, become profitable? “The model has proven its profitability in the Netherlands.», Advance Grégoire Borgoltz, while admitting that profitability has not yet been achieved in France. “It will most likely be by next year in the North “, he assures. Before adding:The goal is not to be profitable throughout France, but to develop with healthy growth“.

And to crisscross the territory: Picnic hopes to cover more than two million French households by the end of the year. To do this, the company is banking on expanding the delivery areas of these current hubs and even on opening new hubs. A dozen logistics platforms could emerge to the east and south of Paris. The French branch of Picnic, which would see its turnover multiplied by five by the end of the year, is already looking for a new playground in France. “In five years we’ll be everywhere“, warns Grégoire Borgoltz. Supermarkets better watch out.