What: Online sales grew by +53% in 2020, contributing to an overall positive exercise

Why it is important: Online does not replace offline, but comes as a much-needed complement, both in terms of financial results and customer experience.

2020 was supposed to be a great year for De Bijenkorf, as it was turning 150 this year. The pandemic prevented any celebrations, and total sales fell by -22%, with the 7 stores remaining closed for 13 weeks, including Christmas (offline channel sales fell by -44%).

Even though it is not compensated, online sales helped: the number of visitors grew by +31% and sales by +53%, helping the company to still post a profit (albeit reduced by -75% to EUR 19,4m.

Online growth limits the damage for De Bijenkorf