Discount Variety Retail shops such as Action, Zeeman, Primark and web shop SHEIN are doing better and better. Consumers are getting used to the low prices through those stores. And with that popularity, the image of the bargain chains is also growing.
It is no longer embarrassing to walk into an expensive store with a Zeeman bag in hand. "Zeeman has developed a cult status," says retail expert Henk Hofstede. He sees more and more "hybrid shoppers", who use both expensive and cheap shops.
Several discounters are growing in popularity. For example, Action opened four new stores in 2024, while the more expensive Blokker group collapsed. The number of purchases from Chinese webshops from the Netherlands increased by millions, from clothing to interior items. And in the shopping streets, a new German discounter is emerging: Kik.
The feeling of tightness in the wallet drives people to the bargain chains, says fashion psychologist Anke Vermeer. "We have become accustomed to very low prices," she says. As a result, consumers are more likely to find something too expensive.
"It has stuck in people's minds that everything has become expensive," says Hofstede. Due to the sharp price increases in 2022 and 2023, this is true, but "consumers forget that they have also been compensated". Most wages have also risen sharply in the meantime, although there is of course also a group that really does not have the money for more expensive stores.
Easy to stay in addictive buying cycle
But people don't shop just because they need something. Cheaper stores fit seamlessly with the satisfying feeling that buying can give. "Buying something gives a dopamine boost," says Vermeer. "That's why we really enjoy getting new stuff."
That feeling disappears soon after the purchase, which can make it tempting to buy something, especially with low prices. "It's easier to stay in such an addictive buying cycle when it doesn't hurt the wallet."
However, there is a distinction between Action, Zeeman and Wibra on the one hand and SHEIN and Temu on the other, according to both experts. The Chinese webshops have reached the bottom in terms of quality. The polyester clothing falls apart quickly. "It's also expensive to have to buy something new all the time because something breaks quickly," says Vermeer. Furthermore, the materials can often no longer be recycled, leaving us with mountains of waste.
High price offers no guarantee
A high price is no guarantee of better quality. Natural materials such as cotton and wool are more indicative of this. Vermeer himself turns garments inside out in the store to check whether the seams are tight.
"There is certainly quality to be found at Zeeman and HEMA," says Vermeer. Zeeman focuses explicitly on sustainability. "You don't have to be ashamed of that anymore," says Hofstede, who also puts Action and Wibra in the list of discounters that are working on a better price-quality ratio and where sustainability is also being made in the range.
Quality is also important to consumers. "There is an increasing part of society that prefers to buy less of better quality," says Hofstede. But the most important factor on which consumers base their choices in the (web) store remains the price.
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