Colruyt immediately jumped into action at the beginning of this week. The online pharmacy Newpharma is part of the Colruyt group and the retail chain has been able to offer self-tests since the middle of this week for 3.50 euros each. That is the same price as at Kruidvat, the Dutch chain that has been selling tests for some time.
Albert Heijn did not want to know about self-tests in their offer last week, before the statements of Prime Minister De Croo. The chain is now turning. The search for a qualitative test that remains sufficiently available is still ongoing, but Albert Heijn hopes to be able to put tests in the shops at the end of next week. At what price is not yet known.
Not our core business
Aldi and Lidl will not sell self-tests in our country for the time being. Neither do Delhaize and Carrefour, although it does happen there at a number of independent operators.
Carrefour believes that medical products are not their core business. They are also not sure that they can properly store those tests. In yet another store they believe that there is temporarily more demand for it, but that it will decrease again if the measures change again soon and we are allowed less again.
Advisory function
Pharmacists have been selling the self-tests for much longer. There you often pay 7 to 8 euros each. The pharmacists point to their advisory function: they explain step by step how to perform such a test. Because if you take a self-test incorrectly, it makes no sense.
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