Mediahuis launches pilot with newspaper pick-up points on Vlieland and Schiermonnikoog

Mediahuis Nederland will launch a pilot with pick-up points for printed daily newspapers on Vlieland and Schiermonnikoog from 1 July 2026. This will ensure that printed newspapers remain available for subscribers and retail sales on both islands.

The measure follows changes in PostNL’s services. From July onwards, the postal company will stop providing 24-hour delivery to the islands and will no longer deliver mail there on Saturdays and Mondays. As a result, newspapers would often arrive one or more days late.

In recent years, Mediahuis used PostNL for newspaper distribution because regular home delivery on the islands had proved unfeasible. According to the publisher, a newspaper that is delivered structurally late is not a sustainable solution. Together with local entrepreneurs, Mediahuis therefore looked for an alternative.

During the pilot, subscribers will be able to collect their newspaper daily from a local pick-up point. On Vlieland, this will be supermarket Poiesz, while on Schiermonnikoog the pick-up point will be Kolstein lifestyle & boeken. The pilot will be evaluated every three months.

As Mediahuis is responsible for the distribution of daily newspapers in the north of the Netherlands, subscribers to DPG Media newspapers will also be able to use this solution. DPG Media will contact its subscribers separately about the change.

Subscribers who do not wish to use the pick-up points can switch to a digital subscription. Single-copy newspaper sales will remain available.