Dark stores, useful to ecommerce but hampered in the Netherlands

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Dark stores serveecommerce but disturb citizens in the Netherlands. On stores closed to the public essential to speed up delivery of online purchases, a feeling of denial is beginning to grow. A possible woodworm for the operation of a system that flourished with the pandemic and is now established even in the habits of Italians.

Dark store, stop for one year

The first city to curb the opening of dark stores is Amsterdam. In early 2022, the City Council decided on a 12-month halt to the opening of new store-stores in residential areas and shopping streets. (1)

In Amsterdam , the focus-and the ban-is on dark food delivery stores. Delivery of groceries within 10 minutes is a convenience greatly appreciated by the population. Except when the starting point is a small establishment with obscured signs that generates a bustle of scooters right below the house.

Smog, noise and empty streets

As of January 2022, there were at least 31 dark stores operating in the center of Amsterdam, having sprung up in just 12 months. And many more would have opened if the municipality had not received word of the growing complaints and grievances of citizens.

The problem is that dark stores also make the streets in which they operate dark. Without signs and with darkened storefronts, they impoverish the fabric of the city. And the race against time for home delivery in the fateful 10 minutes generates noise, traffic and smog from the constantly moving scooters.

Stalled operators

On the same grounds, in February 2022 the municipality of Rotterdam followed Amsterdam’s example. And 23 other municipalities in the Netherlands are preparing to follow suit.

More established players in foodecommerce in Amsterdam, such as Berlin-based Gorillas and Flink and Turkey’s Getir, expressed disappointment. German Flink has also speculated about taking legal action to continue expanding.

Dark store, what future in EU?

The bans in the Netherlands appear, at first glance, to be a rearguard battle. The growing success of dark stores certainly takes market share away from the large-scale retail trade, thanks to fast delivery service and competitive prices. The market is changing, as are the living and working habits that have led Europeans to spend most of their time at home.

We will see if the Dutch judiciary decides to censure these restrictive measures as incompatible with the free market that exists in the EU and the constitutional right to freedom of enterprise. The problems of noise and smog moreover can be easily solved by the use of electric mobility. In contrast, for the same business sector, the rider rights directive is expected to be adopted as soon as possible to protect at least 28 million workers in the EU. (3)

Notes

(1) Reuters. Amsterdam puts freeze on opening ‘dark store’ distribution centers, 27.1.22 https://www.reuters.com/article/amsterdam-dark-stores-idUSKBN2K129D

(2) Tom Bateman. Dutch cities temporarily banned 10-minute delivery ‘dark stores’. Then one company threatened to sue. euronews.com, 2/24/22, https://www.euronews.com/next/2022/02/24/dutch-cities-temporarily-banned-10-minute-delivery-dark-stores-then-one-company-threatened

(3) Marta Strinati. Food delivery, proposed EU directive to protect riders. GIFT(Great Italian Food Trade). 9.12.21, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/ristorazione/food-delivery-proposta-di-direttiva-ue-per-tutelare-i-rider

Marta Strinati
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Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".