Fact check: How are products imported from Germany by online-supermarket, Picnic, cheaper than the products in the Netherlands?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the available analyses, there is limited concrete information explaining how Picnic imports German products at lower prices than Dutch equivalents. The most relevant finding comes from a 2023 source which reveals that Picnic circumvents supply restrictions by international brand manufacturers by translating product information in their webshop ^[1]. This suggests Picnic may be accessing German distribution channels that offer better wholesale prices than traditional Dutch suppliers.

The tariff data shows that the Netherlands maintains relatively low import duties - with weighted mean applied tariff rates of 0.84% in 2022 ^[2] and declining from 1.84% in 2019 to 1.33% in 2022 ^[3]. These minimal tariffs would not significantly impact final consumer prices, indicating that tariffs are not the primary factor in Picnic's pricing advantage.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several critical aspects remain unexplored in the available sources:

• Wholesale pricing structures - No analysis addresses whether German wholesalers offer better bulk pricing than Dutch suppliers
• Supply chain efficiency - While sources mention Picnic's automated warehouses and robotized fulfillment centers ^{[4] [5]}, they don't connect these operational efficiencies to pricing advantages on German imports
• Currency fluctuations - No discussion of how Euro exchange rate stability within the EU affects cross-border pricing
• Regulatory arbitrage - Beyond the mention of circumventing supply restrictions ^[1], there's no detailed explanation of how different national regulations might create pricing opportunities
• Volume purchasing power - No information on whether Picnic's scale allows them to negotiate better terms with German suppliers

The broader context shows that food products are generally cheaper in other Western European countries compared to Germany ^[3], but this doesn't specifically explain Picnic's strategy.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question contains an unverified assumption that German products imported by Picnic are definitively cheaper than Dutch alternatives. The available evidence only provides one specific mechanism - circumventing brand manufacturer supply restrictions ^[1] - but doesn't comprehensively prove this pricing advantage exists across all German imports.

The question also lacks specificity about which product categories show these price differences, making it difficult to assess whether this is a widespread phenomenon or limited to certain items. Without comparative pricing data or broader market analysis, the premise that Picnic's German imports are systematically cheaper remains unsubstantiated by the current evidence base.