Alcohol promotions in the Supermarket

This research compares the alcohol promotions of the six largest Dutch supermarkets – Albert Heijn, Aldi, Dirk, Jumbo, Lidl en Plus - between 2020 and 2024. Questionmark zooms in on Superlist Health the Netherlands 2024 findings, in collaboration with the AlcoholPreventie voor de Gezonde Generatie (AlcoholPrevention for the Healthy Generation).

Publication

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Which efforts do Dutch supermarkets make to encourage increase the sales of organic food?

Bio Benchmark

The European Union has set a target to grow organic farmland to 25% in 2030. The Netherlands has set a target at 15%. An important means to reach these targets is to raise the demand from the market. Supermarkets play a crucial role in creating this demand. 

Questionmark's Benchmark Bio 2025 will assess supermarkets' efforts to encourage the growth for demand of organic food. The benchmark is part of the broader research program Superlist Green but the resulting publication has a different form. The benchmark can be regarded as an intermediate assessment on a number of indicator specifically looking at organic farming. The indicators for this benchmark are aligned as much as possible with the more general indicators of Superlist Green. The benchmark does not result in a general ranking of supermarkets. 

Consultation period

Publication methodology

Data collection period

Publication research report

Seminar

UK Retail Food Promotions

Questionmark researched the health and sustainability of food promotions in the UK. This is a collaboration with the Food Foundation for their flagship reports on the food system in the UK

Broken plate report

Preventing misleading claims on sustainability

Marketing sustainability

Claims on and about food products are a means to market sustainability. These claims can drive sustainability. Misleading claims, on the other hand, lead to unfair competition and can undermine support for sustainability within business and for regulation. They can create the illusion that all is well and the food system is sustainable.

Within this project, Questionmark seeks to assess the room within legislation to claim sustainability. The Hotline Food Claims was a first step to collect all types of claims on the sustainability of food. Several potentially misleading claims were reported to the Advertising Code Committee (RCC). The goal is not to remove claims on the sustainability of food, but for food producers to make their products more sustainable.

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Which Dutch supermarkets make healthy food the easy choice?

Superlist Health The Netherlands 2024


Superlist Health in the Netherlands compares Dutch supermarkets bi-annualy on their contribution to a healthy food systeme. The seven largest supermarkets (Albert Heijn, Aldi, Dirk, Ekoplaza, Jumbo,  Lidl and Plus) are compared on their policies, assortment, promotions and store design. This is the third edition of Superlist Health in the Netherlands and compares the findings to two years ago.

Consultation period methodology

Publication rapport

What measures are supermarkets taking to achieve protein transition targets?

How do Dutch supermarkets help accelerate the protein transition?

Benchmark Protein Transition


The protein transition is developing rapidly and is high on the agendas of supermarkets, government and civil society. Supermarkets have taken an important step by setting targets on the sale of plant-based and animal proteins. 


To monitor retailer’s developments, this project launches an intermediary measurement between bi-annual Superlist Green publications. This benchmark wil monitor what supermarkets are doing individually to realise the targets they have set.

Publication report

Which Belgian supermarkets take responsibility for human rights?

Superlist Social Belgium 2024

Superlist Social Belgium is the first research in a series that will compare Belgium supermarkets bi-annually on their contribution to a fair food system. The five largest Belgian supermarkets will be compared on their performances in respecting human rights in their supply chains.

Publication of research method

Open for retailer feedback on data

Publication of the report

Example meeting

Another meeting without date (not shown because not tentative)

Another meeting

What do we know about the price structure of food?

A fair price for food

The affordability of food is suddenly a key topic in public and political debate after years of relatively stable food prices. The intransparency of how prices are established in the food chain complicates the matter. With this project, we give insight in how we can keep food affordable, how to distribute money in the chain and what is needed to ensure food producers can earn a fair living. We focus specifically on the price structure of food at the end of the chain, mostly within the supermarket. 

Have you seen or heard a sustainability claim?

Report any claims with regard to the environment, human rights or animal welfare at the Contact Point Food Claims. 

Claims about the sustainability of food and drinks. Are they warranted?

Stay up to date about our Superlist projects and findings

How do Dutch supermarkets contribute to sustainable food?

Superlist Green the Netherlands 2023

How do Dutch supermarkets make sustainable food the easy choice?

Superlist Green in the Netherlands compares Dutch supermarkets on their contribution to a sustainable food system. The issues researched in this Superlist are the protein transition, nature inclusive agriculture, sustainable packaging and climate plans.

With insights from our research, our facilitating role in shaping collaborations and as a driver of political and public debate we create the conditions through which systemic change can occur.

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Dutch government takes on monitoring retailers’ sustainability performance

In 2024 the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality will launch a public dashboard that provides insight into supermarkets' progress on sustainability. The ministry uses Questionmark's knowledge and expertise, in particular that within the Superlist program, in developing the dashboard. Moreover, Questionmark supports the ministry in assessing support for the new dashboard with Dutch civil society.

Are the healthiest food products for children also the most affordable food products?

In the face of rising food prices and food insecurity, supermarkets should have a set of actions in place to ensure healthy affordable food is available to all children. Questionmark partnered with the Food Foundation to research whether the healthiest food products also the most affordable food products?

In the coming year, the prices of several staple food products will be compared on the affordability of healthy products. Ideally, the cheapest products would be those with the best high profile: low in sugar and low in price. In addition, healthy products are abundant in multibuy promotions.

All projects

Alcohol promotions

Benchmark Bio 2025

UK retail food promotions

Marketing sustainability

Superlist Health The Netherlands 2024

Benchmark Protein Transition

Superlist Social Belgium 2024

A fair living

Hotline Food Claims

Superlist Green The Netherlands 2023

Sustainability Dashboard

Kids Food Guarantee