Busy at Dirk’s opening: ‘We just locked the door’

Stacks of boxes of frozen apple pie for one euro, free shopper bags, bouquets and fabric softener, and long lines at the checkouts: Dirk supermarket in the Stadshart is open.

Many Zoetermeer residents got into the car or tram or cycled to the Passage on Wednesday morning, January 8. Because Dirk is celebrating the opening of the second branch in the city – the other is in the Palenstein district – with free products for paying customers for three weeks.

Apple pie craze

Before the opening of the new store, there is already a line of people that stretches all the way to the Queen of Hearts cafe. Promotional staff hands out free shoppers at the roller conveyor and a barista provides coffee at the entrance. The supermarket aisles are teeming with people with shopping carts. The frozen apple pies for one euro are quickly ending up in shopping baskets. Meanwhile, the queues at the cash registers and the self-scanning square are getting longer.

Crowd barriers in the store

For more order, Dirk decides to install crowd barriers not only outside the store, but also inside. “We normally never do this, but otherwise all the queues at the checkouts will get mixed up,” says a supermarket employee. Operational manager Martin Schuurmans says that they are used to it with Dirk. “I have witnessed several branch openings that are usually very busy.”

The paths are becoming overcrowded and waiting times are increasing. The branch manager decides to lock the door. “It is too busy, so new people are temporarily not allowed in.”

More accessible

Many visitors leave the supermarket with well-filled shopping bags. Most are happy with Dirk’s arrival in the Stadshart. “I get on the tram from Oosterheem,” says a woman, “and almost get off in front of Dirk’s door.” Another woman adds: “I don’t have my own transport, so I also depend on the tram. From the Meerzicht stop I then walk the last part home.”

Narrower paths

A man leaves the store with a filled shopping cart. “I normally go to Dirk in Palenstein, but the sections are always empty so quickly and the paths are narrower. It’s more spacious here and I hope they stock it better here than there. I am happy with it.”

Watch the video of the opening below: