March 8, 2018 · Team HG
The House of Representatives wants the Government to investigate whether the home delivery market is being distorted because hospitality entrepreneurs are not allowed to offer lower prices on their own websites via online platforms. KHN views this investigation as a major boost for many hospitality entrepreneurs and an important step towards a fairer delivery market.
The SP and PvdA submitted a motion that was adopted in the House of Representatives on March 6, 2018.
In the motion, the parties indicate that they fear the dominant market position of a few online platforms, combined with unilateral increases in commissions, could have detrimental effects on both hospitality business owners and consumers. They therefore wish to investigate further whether requirements such as a lowest price guarantee are market-distorting (read the motion here).
KHN views this motion as the prelude to a further discussion regarding the need to renew legislation surrounding search, booking, and delivery sites. This discussion was initiated last year by hospitality entrepreneurs and KHN. In December, we presented a symbolic pizza to Members of Parliament to advocate for a ban on the parity discussion and the sharing of customer data by platforms with hospitality entrepreneurs. We also spoke with the State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Mona Keijzer, about the consequences of the lack of market competition for restaurants, food delivery services, and hoteliers, among others. During that conversation, we insisted that the unreasonable demands made by search and booking sites also be included in the investigation.
