Bakery Vangrootloon online sales quadrupled

Vangrootloon is a huge, Sint-Truiden-based, artisanal bakery. The company dates back to 1915, when Joseph Vangrootloon started to bake bread for family, neighbors, and refugees. The reins of the bakery today are currently held by the third generation; that’s hardly a surprise given the family business’ impressive growth over the years.

Vangrootloon has 24 stores, most of which include a tearoom. A team of 350 employees keep the business running, 120 of whom work in the large production unit just outside Sint-Truiden. Vangrootloon's bread and pastries aren’t just available in its own stores. Among others, their products have found their way into supermarkets, schools, and retirement homes.

A stockpiling frenzy

“At the start of the first lockdown, we noticed a spike in our bread production,” says Jan Massa, Marketing and PR Officer at Bakery Vangrootloon. “At one point, we had to limit our customers to a maximum of five loaves. If they wanted more, they had to order them in advance.”

After a few weeks though, the stockpiling frenzy tapered off. Counter sales were great at Vangrootloon during the pandemic in 2020. “However, when the hospitality industry shut down, sales at stores with tearooms took a nosedive. Customers were restricted to counter-only purchases there too.”

Online sales

Vangrootloon made up for the tearoom closures by focusing more on online sales. “We really threw our weight behind that one,” said Massa. “The bread we sell online is slightly cheaper than what you can get in the store. And by ordering and paying online, customers can pick up their order at the store without having to stand in line.”

Online sales quadrupled in the past year. “We hope it remains a trend, even once the pandemic is over. It's a convenient way to work for us. We know exactly how much we need to produce, and every order is prepaid.”

Fiber

The network remains indispensable when it comes to logistics and planning at Vangrootloon. Massa: “There’s a lightning fast connection between some of our retail outlets and the headquarters thanks to Proximus Explore and fiber. The others will become part of the fiber network soon.”

Regular reports provide Vangrootloon with an overview of connection quality and speed. If there’s a bug somewhere, Massa is sent a notification. “That way we can send someone to the scene right away. Suppose it turns out that there’s been a power outage, meaning the modem is offline too. That means we can also start troubleshooting immediately, switching the refrigerators and freezers back on, for instance.”

Vangrootloon has a next-generation firewall installed to help secure their network. “There haven't been any incidents so far,” said Massa. “And we’d like to keep it that way. That's why we reassessed network security and reinforced it as a result.”

Customers can use their smartphones to scan a QR code and access our digital menu.

Jan Massa, Marketing and PR Officer at Bakery Vangrootloon

Digital menu

Vangrootloon also had a digital menu developed. “You won’t find the standard paper menu on every table anymore. Customers can use their smartphones to scan a QR code and access our digital menu. That way we don’t have to disinfect menus. At the same time, it also makes our work, in general, a lot more flexible. A single update to the central system ensures that everyone has the most recent menu. Plus, we no longer have any printing costs.”

App becomes a new ordering channel

A new step toward a more digital business involves the development of a mobile app. “For all intents and purposes, the online ordering platform works like a charm. However, with an app, you can do even more. We aim to turn it into a new ordering channel, which will simultaneously help us develop a more personal relationship with the customer. For example, we could send messages and customized promotions.”