3 things that make e-commerce in the Netherlands unique

This blog post was updated on 2 December 2022.

The Netherlands has a very mature e-commerce market. 76% of the total Dutch population have made a purchase on the internet in the past year, and in 2021 the B2C e-commerce market was worth the equivalent of almost USD 29 billion.

Dutch shoppers are very comfortable buying from foreign websites, making the Netherlands an attractive market to businesses wanting to sell internationally.

However, the Dutch e-commerce market is very different from anywhere else in the world.

Here are three things you need to be aware of if you want to succeed at e-commerce in the Netherlands.

1. The most popular Dutch e-commerce websites

The top e-commerce sites in the Netherlands are very different from what we are used to seeing in other European countries. Bol.com is the most popular, followed by Marktplaats, Amazon, Tweakers and Coolblue. If you want to sell your items on an online marketplace, Bol.com should therefore be your first choice when targeting the Netherlands.

2. The Thuiswinkel Waarborg trust mark

If you want to enter the Dutch e-commerce market, you are advised to apply for the Thuiswinkel Waarborg trust mark. If you are successful, then you will be allowed to have the trust mark on your website. It is provided by the Dutch e-commerce association, Thuiswinkel.org. Having this trust mark displayed on your website is a sign to Dutch consumers that your website is trustworthy.

3. The most popular online payment methods

If you want to sell online in the Netherlands, then you should offer iDeal. iDeal is an extremely popular online payment method developed by the Dutch banking community. It is the preferred payment method of Dutch online shoppers and is offered by the vast majority of Dutch online retailers.

Want to learn more?

I hope this has given you a useful introduction to e-commerce in the Netherlands. For more in-depth information, read the full-length guide here! From reading this guide, you will learn:

• the current digital landscape in the country, including internet penetration rates
• the typical Dutch internet user, including their gender, age and online activities
• device usage breakdowns and internet speeds in the Netherlands
• search engine marketing in the Netherlands
• how to localise your website for the Netherlands
• social media marketing in the Netherlands
• the local culture and language in the Netherlands
• e-commerce in the Netherlands

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Dirk van de Wouw

SEO Digital Marketing Trainee at Webcertain

Originally from the Netherlands, Dirk graduated in Business Science at the University of NHA, specialising in management and problem analysis. He also holds a degree in Business & Management from the University of ROC. He joined Webcertain almost a year ago, and he is responsible for online research, SEO, content marketing, PPC and PR tasks, as well as for helping to train the linguistic team and ensuring the timely delivery of all work undertaken. Additionally, Dirk works to identify further opportunities to expand Webcertain’s current service offering. Dirk currently lives in the UK.

Latest posts by Dirk van de Wouw (see all)

• 3 things that make e-commerce in the Netherlands unique - January 11, 2018