How René van der Zel surpassed €100 million with XXL Nutrition – without having that as a goal.

How René van der Zel passed 100 million euros with XXL Nutrition - without having it as a goal.

XXL Nutrition breaks through 100 million euros in revenue: 'It was never a goal in itself'

This week, XXL Nutrition announced via a press release that the company has reached the impressive milestone of €100 million in revenue. Interestingly, this news did not come from the founder and owner René van der Zel himself.
‘No, the guys here thought it was a nice milestone to share,’ he says with a laugh. ‘I didn’t necessarily feel it was needed. But when they asked, I said something like: “Yeah, sure, go ahead.”’

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Always busy improving

Although Van der Zel is not the type to spray champagne, he is still visibly proud. ‘Yes, of course it’s a nice milestone – even super cool,’ he says. ‘But it was never a goal in itself. It is simply the result of what we do here every day: keep improving.’

Die aanpak werpt duidelijk vruchten af. In 2023 draaide XXL Nutrition een omzet van €66 miljoen, een jaar later liep dat op tot €80 miljoen, en in 2025 wordt de grens van €100 miljoen ruimschoots gepasseerd.
Dat succes komt deels doordat het merk niet langer alleen online verkoopt, maar ook steeds meer via retailkanalen, zoals Action. Daarnaast groeit de Europese afzet stevig door. 

Het grootste deel van de omzet komt nog uit Nederland, maar ook in Duitsland en België wint XXL Nutrition snel terrein.
‘Voor 2026 mikken we opnieuw op een omzetgroei van zo’n 20 tot 30 procent,’ aldus Van der Zel.

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What matters is what lies beneath the line

However, the entrepreneur knows that revenue is only one side of the story. ‘In the end, it’s about what is left over,’ he says soberly. The strong growth of 2024 did not directly translate into higher profits: the EBITDA remained virtually unchanged. ‘The margins in our industry are thin,’ he explains. ‘People often think otherwise because they see us driving luxury cars. But to be honest, in terms of margins, I might have been better off going into the clothing business, haha. That’s why we keep a close eye on costs—especially on how we can make our marketing smarter and more effective.’

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Future plans

Does the spectacular growth mean that Van der Zel will soon sell his company? 'Who knows,' he says with a wink. 'Maybe that moment is indeed getting a little closer.'