Dutch Cancer Society, February 20th 2025
Supermarkets are increasingly promoting alcohol in their leaflets, despite their promise in the National Prevention Agreement to encourage healthy choices. This is evident from new research by think tank Questionmark in collaboration with two national health organizations*. In 2024, the weekly advertising leaflets of the six largest supermarket chains contained an average of 445 offers for alcoholic beverages, twice as many as in 2020 (219 offers).
The research analyzed the weekly leaflet offers of the six largest supermarket chains – Albert Heijn, Aldi, Dirk, Jumbo, Lidl and Plus – over the years 2020, 2022 and 2024. Questionmark concludes that the share of alcohol in the leaflet offers has increased significantly. Where 10% of offers in 2020 were about alcohol, this will have increased to 15% in 2024. Mixed drinks and spirits in particular are advertised more often: their share of alcohol promotions increased from 5% in 2020 to 12% in 2024.
Health organizations: ‘Supermarkets do not keep their promises’
Dorine Manson, director KWF, the Dutch Cancer Society, calls the findings from the study extremely disappointing. “In 2018, supermarkets promised in the National Prevention Agreement to help their customers make healthier choices. A decrease in advertising for alcoholic beverages was obvious, but instead we see a sharp increase in the share of alcohol promotions.”
Manson points out that this trend is particularly worrying because alcohol advertising also reaches young people, while the Prevention Agreement explicitly agreed that this should be prevented. “Young people are extra sensitive to alcohol marketing. Research shows that they start drinking earlier and also drink more when they see alcohol advertising. That is worrying, because we all want our children to grow up healthy.”
Supermarkets offer fewer stunts, but advertise more often
Since the introduction of the new alcohol law in 2021, supermarkets are no longer allowed to offer more than 25% discount on alcohol. “Our research shows that the limitation on the depth of the offers is being negated by the increase in the number of offers. I hope that supermarket management and policymakers in The Hague will take this insight to heart and take measures so that supermarkets actually tempt their customers less to buy alcohol,” says Charlotte Linnebank, director of Questionmark.
Plea for equal rules
The health funds, united in the Healthy Generation initiative, are therefore calling for legislation that further limits alcohol advertising. For example, the government can impose restrictions on where alcohol can be seen in the supermarket. Manson: “Now you see alcohol in many shops outside the designated shelf, for example in the fresh produce department.” According to the health funds, alcohol should only be on the alcohol shelf. Other possible measures include a ban on alcohol advertising in leaflets and an end to free giveaways with alcohol products, such as caps, t-shirts and other gadgets.
Manson: “There should be binding rules that are the same for all supermarkets. Without such a legal approach, market forces will mainly reward supermarkets that lag behind in terms of health.”
Previous public research** shows that there is broad support in the Netherlands for such measures. More than half of the Dutch support a ban on alcohol advertising and visible display in supermarkets. Support figures published recently by the Trimbos Institute confirm this picture. The World Health Organization (WHO) also calls limiting alcohol marketing one of the effective measures to reduce alcohol damage.
Alcohol damage
Alcohol damage costs the Dutch society between 2.3 and 4.2 billion euros each year. Alcohol consumption is associated with approximately 200 different conditions and diseases, including an increased risk of 7 types of cancer. Alcohol also increases the risk of traffic accidents and violence, for example, and saddles society with higher healthcare costs and loss of productivity. To reduce this, the Dutch government concluded the National Prevention Agreement in 2018 in collaboration with more than 70 social organizations, companies and healthcare institutions.
*https://www.kwf.nl/nieuws/aantal-supermarktaanbiedingen-voor-alcohol-in-vier-jaar-verdubbeld
**Support base survey (February 2023) conducted by MarketResponse on behalf of Gezonde Generatie, among 1,605 Dutch people aged 18 and older.