Dutch Supermarket Sales Growth forecast only 3% in 2009

The supermarket sector reported sales of 28.7 billion euros in 2007, a 4.7 percent rise. The sales in the week leading up to Christmas to go up by 7 percent to 829 million euros, more than double the 3 percent rise recorded in the same period in 2007.

 Dutch
supermarkets are expected to see a sharp slowdown in sales growth
next year, with volumes held back as recession-hit shoppers look for
bargains, supermarkets board CBL said. CBL forecast a 3 percent
increase in 2009 turnover compared to a projected 6.5 percent rise to
about 30 billion euros ($38.80 billion) this year due mainly to
higher prices as increased raw materials costs were passed on. CBL
expects volume growth to account for 1 percent of next year's
estimated sales growth and the remaining 2 percent to come from price
increases. This compares with volume growth of about 2.5 percent and
a price hike effect of 4-5 percent this year.

Both government economic think-tank CPB
and the Dutch central bank have forecast a recession for the Dutch
economy in 2009, the first annual contraction in nearly three
decades. CPB sees gross domestic product growing by 2.25 percent this
year.