Net consumer online sales of bol.com 2012-2021

In 2021, net consumer sales in online store bol.com (including both the Netherlands and Belgium) amounted to 5.5 billion euros, an increase of approximately 28 percent compared to the previous year. Net consumer online sales included third-party sales on the platform. Like Amazon, sales on the Dutch website can come from the own retailer, third-party retailers, or a second-hand section.

The Netherlands’ top webshops

Amazon might be expected to be the largest online retailer in the Netherlands, given that the company is known worldwide and operates in multiple European countries. However, according to a ranking based on revenue from direct online sales, Amazon came in eighth place among the leading online retailers in the Netherlands in 2020. Bol.com topped the list, followed by electronics retailer Coolblue. Other notable online shops included Germany's fashion retailer Zalando and the electronics store MediaMarkt.

The Dutch favor domestic online shopping

When asked about their current and expected expenditure on international online purchases, Dutch e-shoppers allocated a relatively low share of their total online spending to cross-border e-commerce. Compared to their Belgian neighbors, Dutch consumers are generally less likely to buy online from foreign retailers. That is likely because Bol.com (as well as the Albert Heijn supermarket brand, its parent company) is a household name in Dutch society and people are familiar with it.