Netherlands Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in netherlands, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
Select Country Guide
eCommerce
Last published date:

Recent data on online shopping in the Netherlands indicates a continued interest in e-commerce.

Recent data on online shopping in the Netherlands shows that e‑commerce continues to grow, though transaction volumes are flattening or slightly declining. In 2022, Dutch consumers spent about €33.3 billion online, with approximately 347 million transactions. In 2023, that rose to €34.7 billion (+3 %), with about 365 million purchases (up 1 %).

  • By 2024, total online spending further increased to around €36.0 billion (+5 %), even though the number of online purchases fell slightly (to 345 million, a 1 % drop). Cross‑border activity has also risen: in 2023, there were 40 million overseas purchases, amounting to €4 billion in spending; in 2024 this increased to 41 million cross‑border purchases, €4.4 billion in cross‑border spending.
     
  • Early in 2025, in the first half of the year, online spending in the Netherlands totaled about €17 billion, down 1 % from H1 2024. Meanwhile, cross‑border purchases numbered 21.6 million, with spending of €2.3 billion in that period.
     
  • As of 2024, Bol.com remains the largest eCommerce platform in the Netherlands by sales (GMV), with approximately €5.17 billion in turnover. Amazon.nl holds a strong second place (€3.70 billion) and is among the fastest‑growing players. Other domestic platforms such as Albert Heijn (ah.nl) and Coolblue.nl remain important, while AliExpress, Shein, and Temu have also broken into the top‑10 in GMV, showing “strong growth.” 
     

Platforms like Marktplaats.nl continue to have high visitor traffic, especially in the classifieds/used goods space, but they don’t match Bol.com or Amazon.nl in overall transactional volume. Foreign marketplaces and international competition are increasingly prominent, reshaping the Dutch eCommerce landscape. iDEAL remains the overwhelmingly most popular online payment method in the Netherlands — in recent data it is used in about 70‑73% of all e‑commerce transactions. It enables consumers to pay by direct online transfer from their bank accounts via their own bank’s secure environment. All major Dutch banks support iDEAL. Other payment methods are much less common: credit/debit cards account for 14% of online transactions, digital wallets such as PayPal or Apple Pay around 11%, and Buy Now Pay Later options (e.g. Klarna, AfterPay) are growing in adoption.

Online spending in the Netherlands typically sees a boost leading up to key holidays such as, Sinterklaas (December 5), and Christmas (December 25). Additional spikes occur around Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Furthermore, there is a notable increase in spending during June and July, driven by the purchase of travel-related products as consumers prepare for summer vacations. Delivery price and speed are important factors for Dutch consumers when deciding whether to make a purchase online. 

Different delivery services in the Netherlands offer varying delivery times. Standard delivery services estimate a shipping time of two to three days for domestic deliveries. Express delivery services guarantee delivery by a specific date and time, usually with an extra cost. Several operators provide same-day delivery domestically as well as delivery during agreed time slots during the day. Faster delivery and specific delivery time slots are increasingly popular with customers. Customers increasingly expect real-time information during the delivery process. They also expect low cost or free deliveries and returns. Detailed information on EU eCommerce legislation can be found in the European Union Country Commercial Guide.

×

Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

Privacy Program | Information Quality Guidelines | Accessibility