The supermarket chains Plus and Coop will merge and continue under the name Plus. The merged company will be the third-largest supermarket formula in the Netherlands, following Albert Heijn and Jumbo.
The new merger will account for around 550 stores and combined sales of about five billion euros. This will make it the third-largest supermarket in the Netherlands, with a market share of 10 per cent. Albert Heijn and Jumbo have a market share of 35 per cent and 21.5 per cent, respectively.
The headquarters of the merged company will be in Utrecht, where Plus is currently headquartered. The merger will result in the loss of jobs, but the number of jobs lost is unknown.
Plus and Coop expect to save around 50 million euros annually as a result of the alliance. They want to invest that money in the store network and online activities, writes the Dutch national broadcaster NOS.
The merger should be completed early next year, although both the competition authorities and the members of the two cooperatives still have to agree to the merger. Even after the consolidation, the new Plus will remain a cooperative.
