NS started developing its own retail solutions in an effort to respond to our passengers’ wishes. Ten years ago, there were no market players capable of doing this. That has changed in recent years. NS will continue to provide retail services itself where this offers benefits to passengers and we can offer distinctive value. This applies to the Kiosk, Railcatering, StationsHuiskamers formats and to the vending machines.
NS has resolved to gradually outsource some of the retail facilities over the coming years through franchising. NS will continue to have a coordinating role so that it can offer passengers a good, varied range in the future too through a franchise model. There will be more room for market players at the station. This should lead to a better service for passengers.

Improvement to formats

De Broodzaak and Kiosk implemented changes to make them better able to meet passengers’ demand for high-quality, fresh products. There are refurbished shops at Utrecht Centraal, Amersfoort and ’s-Hertogenbosch stations. The most successful elements of the revamped Broodzaak will be implemented in all the shops. We started that in 2016. For instance, we opened three different variants of the new Kiosk at Den Haag Centraal. We have also improved the signage in the Julia’s shops and changed the product range at Smullers. Railcatering is now present on more routes. At various stations where construction work was being done, 2016 saw a range of shops being reopened such as Julia’s, Kiosk, Smullers and Starbucks at Eindhoven station.

Retail abroad

NS operated a total of 35 shops in 6 formats at stations in Belgium, France and England. At stations, we focus on the activities that could provide the most added value for passengers in the Netherlands. In line with that focus, NS ended its foreign retail activities in 2016. We have acquired experience in the highly competitive market at the stations and seen how our partners operate commercially at the stations. The shops at stations abroad have thus helped us to tighten up and make further improvements to what we can offer passengers in the Netherlands.