Market size of e-commerce in Belgium 2015-2021

The Belgian e-commerce market has experienced steady growth in recent years, from generating around eight billion euros in 2015, to more than 12 billion in 2021. In the same vein, Belgium has seen a significant increase in internet shoppers over the last decade, used by two-thirds of the population in 2021. As more and more Belgians turned to online shopping, the e-commerce share of retail sales in Belgium also picked up pace over the period.

Language, a driver for online shopping

With two main languages: Flemish-Dutch in the north (Flanders) and French in the south (Wallonia and parts of the Brussels-Capital region), linguistic differences influence online shopping preferences. It can be seen, for instance, in the most popular online retailers among Belgians, ranking led by the Dutch Bol.com and coolblue.be. Meanwhile, the international e-commerce giant Amazon only came in sixth place among the top online retailers in Belgium in 2021. Furthermore, both regions show disparities in terms of e-commerce penetration. That year, while 70 percent of individuals in Flanders had placed an order online, in Wallonia, this figure was 59 percent.

Bol.com: the leading online marketplace

The leading online store in both Belgium and the Netherlands, Bol.com was founded in 1999 as an online bookstore in the Netherlands “Books OnLine” (BOL). In 2004, the company expanded its product offering beyond just books, including electronics, toys, music, and film in its portfolio. It wasn’t until 2010 that Bol.com started its cross-border activities in the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, Flanders. More than a decade later, Bol.com boasts more than 25 million average monthly visitors in Belgium and over 5.5 billion euros in revenues.