Bakker Bart
Bakker Bart, a contemporary franchise formula led by Bart’s Retail, is the largest bakery chain in the Netherlands with approximately 140 stores nationally.
Bart van Elsland founded Bakker Bart in 1977 in Nijmegen, Netherlands. He gave his oven a unique place in a shopping center, providing his customers with a direct experience of freshly baked bread. However, this was not the only revolutionary idea. Bakker Bart responded to the growing need for delivery by implementing S4D’s solution.
With an innovative e-commerce strategy, Bakker Bart has once again reinvented itself for the next generation of Dutch consumers, becoming the largest bakery chain with delivery in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands
150+
Stores
Lunchroom
E-commerce, Menu Management, PowerBI
Challenges faced by Bakker Bart before S4D
Bakker Bart’s traditional bakery model began facing serious challenges as digitalization reshaped the industry.
The company went from 200 stores to 140 locations. As a result, the traditional bakery concept from 1977 had to evolve into a modern lunchroom experience. Meanwhile, their disconnected systems did not integrate with delivery platforms.
At the same time, Bakker Bart relied on multiple disconnected systems to operate its stores. These systems were not integrated with delivery platforms.
An external agency built their website on Magento. However, the user flow was not optimized for restaurant franchises. The ordering journey was not intuitive, and there were no upselling opportunities in the process.
“That’s when we realized we needed a website that was not only aligned with our branding, but also strategically built for conversions and upselling,” says Jop van Sommeren (Marketing & E-Commerce Director at Bakker Bart).
As a result, Bakker Bart chose S4D to build the most accessible lunchroom experience in the Netherlands across all channels.
“We had an ambitious vision that went beyond the basics of digitalization. We aimed to revolutionize our entire organization. It wasn't just about going digital; it was about transforming every aspect, from our processes to our mindset, and embracing the digital era for our success."
Jop van Sommeren, Marketing & E-Commerce Director at Bakker Bart
Solutions S4D has brought to Bakker Bart
Bakker Bart prides itself on making sandwiches exactly how customers like them. With S4D’s solutions, customers can easily customize their orders. “Upselling digitally is more profitable and easier than face-to-face,” says Jop. This is proven by a significantly higher Average Order Value (AOV) on our online orders compared to delivery platforms or those placed at the counter.
As a result, most of Bakker Bart’s orders now come through the platform, highlighting the effectiveness of the S4D solutions.
Operational improvements for franchisees
“S4D’s solutions are particularly tailored to the needs of QSR (Quick-Service Restaurant) businesses, offering more orders, and significantly higher conversion rates compared to other suppliers or delivery platforms”, says Jop.
S4D makes it easier for Bakker Bart’s headquarters and stores to manage franchise locations and the entire chain.
Turning data into strategic decisions
“S4D has improved both headquarters and store operations for Bakker Bart. Franchisees can easily configure local settings, define delivery areas using polygons, and manage their menus. The system supports an 80% core menu while allowing stores to offer 20% local products chosen by the franchisee. Additionally, consumers can select their preferred store on the front end, enhancing their shopping experience”, confirms Jop.
In addition, S4D enables Bakker Bart to collect and leverage data more effectively.
With S4D’s PowerBI we can make informed decisions on everything from assortments to pricing levels across different locations. The data-driven insights empower our franchisees with direct access to crucial information, while HQ can easily manage and adjust store setups through the CMS, ensuring the entire chain operates seamlessly.
Jop van Sommeren, Marketing & E-Commerce Director at Bakker Bart
A strategic partnership for long-term growth
To the question “How is working with S4D different from other digital suppliers?”, Jop answered: ‘S4D’s team is very dedicated and maintains a direct connection with franchisees. In addition, they actively collaborate with our headquarters to improve conversions. Unlike other providers, they don’t just say, “Here is the platform and good luck.”’.
Bakker Bart is now on a journey to move from a bakery to a full-service lunch concept, improving their online presence first. “As key partners in growth, it is important to make this move together and make Bakker Bart future-proof,” says Jop.
